The Visit
by kmac9
Summary: An unexpected visit might just be what they both need for things to finally progress between them. A post-season 5 story, with season 5 references/spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a post-season 5 story, so stop reading NOW if you haven't seen it and want to stay spoiler-free.**

 **This story picks up a little while after the tenth episode, but since I want Henry to be in this story, we'll just say the final couple Henry-related scenes didn't happen.**

 **Alright, stage set, and spoiler warning given. Here we go...**

* * *

He was only half-paying attention to the book in his lap when the headlight beams sliced through the blinds of his front windows. Not expecting anyone, he lowered his gaze back to the page he'd been on, but the crunch of gravel and the sound of the engine being cut informed him that his cabin was the driver's intended destination.

From his position on the couch he couldn't see the car, and he briefly wondered if he could pretend not to be home when the visitor knocked. There were so many people he didn't want to see right now. But his Bronco was parked outside, and the lights from within the cabin could clearly be seen by anyone out front, so he pulled his feet down from the coffee table with a sigh.

With a rub of his hand across the face, he placed the book on the end table beside him, and stood. Ready to turn toward the door, the Rainier cans on the coffee table caught his eye. He had no idea who was stopping by, but he didn't want a pile of empty beer cans to be the first thing they saw. It's not like he had consumed them all that evening. He'd only had two. But it wasn't a good visual. He'd never really worried about the visual before, but lately, as his lawyer continued to remind him, the visual was critical.

As he placed the empty cans in a paper bag under the sink, he looked over his shoulder. Whoever had parked out front had still not knocked. Maybe they'd changed their mind. Or figured out they were at the wrong place. But he didn't really have any neighbors close by for his address to be mixed up with someone else's.

He straightened and made his way back to the front room, opened the door and peered out. No one was standing there, but he could make out a bumper of a truck in the near dark. With his right hand he switched on the porch light and the Dodge Ram came into view. There, a few steps past the post at the top of the stairs, stood Vic looking somewhat startled.

"Vic?"

She blinked but remained silent.

"Everything ok?" She blinked again.

Glancing over to his answering machine and confirming that it did not have a blinking light with a message he'd missed, he propped open the screen. "Do we have a new case? Did a body drop?"

"Oh...uh, no." She finally stepped forward. "I..."

He scanned her face trying to gauge whether she'd been drinking. Her flustered state was not typical for her. Nor was it typical for her to stop by his place unannounced, late at night.

"Are you ok, Vic?"

She glanced to the right, squinting toward the edge of his porch. "Did you know that my family has never visited me since I moved out here?"

Unsure where the conversation was headed, he ran his hand across the hair at the back of his neck.

"Not when I first moved to Durant and was getting settled in."

His eyes stayed on her, but she continued to look to the side.

"Not when I was overwhelmed in those first months, and a bit homesick."

Her gaze dropped to her boots, and he watched her kick at one of the boards.

"Not when Sean was traveling a lot for work, and they knew I didn't know many people here."

She looked up, her eyes grabbing on to his.

"And not even after Sean and I separated, or when he left, or when the divorce was finalized. No one visited. Not even once."

He nodded, not knowing if she was actually asking him a question. Again she looked off to the right for a moment, and then began to pace in front of him.

"But now... _now_ is when they decide to show up on my front steps. Now, when I'm living in an RV that barely fits me, let alone the four of them. Now, when I'm trying to get my shit together, but haven't made enough progress to want anyone else to see it yet. Now when I'm plastered across the headlines. And you're plastered across the headlines. And things are being misconstrued. Now, when I'm not sure if I'm ready to tell them..."

She suddenly stopped talking, pausing mid-stride, her eyes going big.

"They, um..." Her unfamiliar flustered state was back. "They showed up at my place a couple hours ago. My parents, and two of my brothers. No heads up. No particular reason for being here other than the fact that Monday is Labor Day, and they decided to make the most out of the long weekend, and come and surprise me."

Barking out a laugh, she rolled her eyes. "Surprise me! Like they live in the neighborhood, and just casually decided to drop by. What if I was out of town? What if I had plans this weekend? I mean I don't, but I could have. I have Monday off too."

She paused, her head dropping. "I'm sorry. Here I am, doing what they did, dropping by unexpectedly."

"It's ok."

Running her hand across the top of her head and then down her ponytail, she looked up at him. "I...uh...I need to ask you something."

"You can have tomorrow off."

"What? Oh...uh, no I'm still planning to come into work...I, uh..." Her hands waved in the air. "I stopped by Cady's but then remembered Henry saying something about her being out of town until Sunday. And, uh...I called around, but all the reasonably priced hotels in the area are full because of the casino, and...I was...I was wondering if..." She paused, her eyes shifting to the side. "I was wondering if I could stay on your couch tonight." She looked back at him, both eyebrows slanting upwards. "Just tonight. Tomorrow I'll figure out some other arrangement for the rest of the weekend."

"Oh…uh..." He must have paused too long because he saw a shift in her expression as she played with the zipper of her jacket.

"You know what, I don't want to burden you." She began to back up toward the top of the stairs. "I'm putting you on the spot, like they put me on the spot. I'll just grab some sleep on the cot at the station, and figure things out tomorrow." And with that, she turned and headed down the steps.

"Vic, wait." She stopped on the last step and looked back at him. He didn't let himself dwell on whether this was a good idea or not. "You can stay here. It's not a problem."

She was looking at him as if she didn't quite believe him. "You're sure?"

He wasn't. This wasn't like the last time she'd spent the night on his couch. The conditions had changed. "Yes."

She continued to stare up at him, frozen in spot, so he stepped on to the porch and held the screen door open.

Vic lifted a finger. "Just a sec." She ran to her truck, returning with a backpack, and then bounded up the stairs. They both found themselves standing just inside the doorway, staring into the room.

He stepped forward. "I'll...uh...I'll get some bedding for you. You can use the bathroom if you want."

"Ok."

He watched her adjust the backpack strap on her shoulder as she crossed the floor and then disappeared into his room. Walt busied himself with finding sheets, a blanket and a pillow.

With her boots off he didn't hear her return to the room until she came up beside him, dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants. "I'll take those." She lowered her bag to the floor and held out her arms for the bedding.

Passing them to her, he glanced back at the entrance to his bedroom. "You could have my room. I'm fine with sleeping on the couch."

As she placed the pile on the coffee table she looked up at him. "Don't be ridiculous. This is your house. I'm the one intruding. I'm not going to kick you out of your own bed."

He suddenly had a vision of her lying beside him on the mattress, giving him a playful kick.

"What?" She straightened and was staring intently at him.

He blinked. "What?"

"You were grinning about something."

He decided to play innocent. "I was?"

"You were." With an arched eyebrow, she turned and started to lay one of the sheets across the couch cushions. He stood there, watching her tuck in the corners until she looked at him over her shoulder and caught him staring.

"Ok. I'll...uh...I'll just let you settle in. And I'll...uh, see you in the morning." He began to back up until he ran into his chair, banging his calf hard against the corner, his forehead creasing in both surprise and pain.

"You alright?" She was looking at him with concern.

He lied. "Yep."

He tried his best not to limp as he headed for his bedroom. At the doorway he turned, finding her standing in front of the couch, staring down at the covered cushions, the second sheet in her hands.

"Everything ok, Vic?"

Her head jerked up, but she didn't look back at him. "Yep." And then she spread the sheet open with a snap, before lowering it.

XX

Vic moved her arm in an arc above her head and stretched, releasing a yawn as she squished her eyes closed. Opening them again, she glanced around the room. From the low light coming in the windows, she could tell it was still early. With a twist of her head, she glanced over to the bedroom, finding the door closed. The kitchen behind her was dark, and everything was completely still.

She raised herself to a seated position, perched on the edge of the cushion, her bare feet flat on the cool floor. Leaning to the right, she dragged her backpack in front of her. Unzipping the main compartment, she dug in and pulled out a pair of shorts. With a quick glance at Walt's door, she shifted on the couch and pulled down her sweatpants, and then yanked them off completely. She stood, quickly stepped into her shorts and then pulled them over her hips. Lowering herself, she again reached into her bag and retrieved her sports bra and a tee.

Once fully dressed, she dove one final time into her bag. With her running shoes and socks in hand, she rose.

As quietly as she could, Vic made her way across the room. She opened the front door slowly, and then reached out to push the screen door open, her fingers stilling on the handle.

Walt was sitting at the top of the steps.

"What are you doing up this early?"

He didn't turn. "I could ask you the same thing."

Pushing the screen door open, she stepped across the porch until she was standing beside him. He glanced up at her, before his gaze fell to her bare legs, and then dropped back to the mug in his hands.

"I'm going for a run. What's your excuse?" She plopped down next to him, and started putting on her socks.

"Just taking in the view."

Her gaze swept across the stretch of land in front of them. "It _is_ gorgeous out here. Especially in the morning."

She turned to see his jaw pulse. "Yep."

"How long have you been out here?"

"Not long." He turned to his right and then turned back toward her, placing a thermos in her hands.

Vic looked over her shoulder. "You brought the coffee maker out here?"

"I didn't want to wake you."

"I probably would have slept through the noise."

"I was more worried about the smell."

Vic lifted the thermos to her nose and took a sniff. "True."

Bringing it to her lips, her eyes closed at the first sip. "Mmm. You even added milk and sugar."

After a few more sips, she placed the thermos next to her, and followed Walt in looking out to the tree line.

"You don't need to come into work today."

She turned to look at him, but he stayed focused on the view before them. "It's Friday. Of course I do."

"I'm giving you the day off."

She paused. "What if I don't want the day off?"

He turned to face her. "Take the day off, Vic. We don't have any active cases. We'll be ok without you."

She started to protest, but he cut her off. "And like you said, your family has never visited before. You should spend as much time with them as you can. Since they made the trip all the way out here."

She held his eyes for a moment before breaking contact. Digging her right foot into one of her running shoes, she leaned forward to tie the laces. "I'll think about your offer on my run."

"Is an early morning run your routine, or are you avoiding going back to your place?"

Her hands on her laces, she turned and rested her chin on her shoulder. "Yes."

He nodded with a smile. "I didn't realize running was your thing."

"It wasn't. But I'm trying to make some improvements in my life."

"Get your shit together?"

She laughed at the fact that he remembered her words from the night before. "Yes. I'm trying to get my shit together, and part of that means taking better care of myself. I'm even trying to cut back on caffeine." She picked up the thermos and took a sip. At his raised eyebrow she grinned. "I'm not completely giving up coffee. I still need to survive. But I'm not drinking as much."

She returned her focus to her laces.

"Why are you avoiding your family?"

"Just giving myself a little extra space."

"They're only here a few days."

She nodded. "Yep. That's a lot of time."

"They can't be that bad."

"You only say that because you haven't met them." She finished tying the bow and sat up. "You should have seen the look on my mother's face when she arrived last night. Her utter disappointment at learning her daughter lives in an RV."

Walt took a sip of his coffee. "It wasn't disappointment."

"Believe me. It was disappointment."

"It wasn't disappointment."

"You weren't there. How do you know what look she was giving me?"

"Because I'm a parent. And because I know you. You aren't a disappointment."

Biting her lip she swallowed and then looked away. She picked up the thermos and then rested both of her forearms on her thighs.

"You weren't ever disappointed in Cady?"

"When a parent comes across as being disappointed, they're usually just masking their concern."

"Is that what's going on with you and Cady right now? Concern?"

He lifted the mug to his lips. "We're talking about you, and why you're avoiding spending time with your family."

"And not you, and why you're avoiding spending time with your daughter?"

He looked over at her but said nothing.

"She hasn't stopped by the station in a while. Or tried to call you there lately."

He shrugged. "She's been busy."

"Busy establishing her legal aid office, working for Jacob Nighthorse, you mean?"

His eyebrow arched again.

"I actually talk to your daughter from time to time."

Again he shrugged. Again he stayed silent.

Vic tightened her grip on the thermos, and the two sat for a moment, coffee in hand, eyes out before them.

"I have no idea what to do with them this weekend. Clearly we can't hang around the RV or we'll all go crazy."

"They want to get a glimpse of your life out here."

"So they can point out all the things that are wrong with it?"

"So they can picture you here when they talk to you on the phone. So they're not so concerned about having let their daughter move so far away."

Vic bit down on her lip.

"You should give them a tour of Absaroka County. It'll give you ideas of things you could do with them while they're here."

She took a sip. Walt reached out and pulled the thermos from her hands.

"Hey."

He smiled. "I thought you were cutting back on caffeine."

"I am, but that means cutting down on coffee, not going cold turkey."

She reached out and tried to snatch it back from him but he pulled it further away.

When she looked up at him she was surprised at how close he was, and her breath caught. The corners of his mouth lowered, as his smile faded, but his eyes stayed bright. She could lean in and put her lips to his, he was that close. But she was moving on, right? That's what she'd told him. That's what he expected. Plus, he had a girlfriend.

She pulled back, and then quickly looked away. A moment later he handed her the thermos.

Again they returned to staring out in front of them.

"How'd you sleep last night?"

She laughed lightly. "I forgot how comfortable your couch is."

"I know. I find it a little too easy to fall asleep out there sometimes."

"Plus it's so quiet out here."

"Sorry. It's a little isolated."

"No. It's great."

He paused as he shifted the mug in his hand. "Ok. Good."

"But it took me a while to fall asleep. I was a little worried that someone might stop by to return a book, or something."

His eyes flashed over to hers.

She shrugged. "We've been in the papers. There's a legitimate reason your girlfriend might be jealous this time, and want to check in on you."

A small smile lit his lips as he bowed his head. "That was a bit awkward last time. With Lizzie."

She laughed. "Just a bit."

They both took a sip, before Vic lowered the thermos to the porch and stood. "Well, I should get my run in before it gets too late. Can't avoid my family forever."

Walt rose, and stepped on to the porch. "Would it be ok if I joined you for your run?"

Vic's lips parted. The surprise must have been evident on her face.

"What?"

"I'm just trying to picture you...running."

"I run."

"I mean other than chasing after the bad guy."

"So do I."

"And wearing something other than your jeans and boots."

"I have something other than jeans and boots."

She crossed her arms with a grin. "This I'd like to see."

He smiled. "Ok."

She returned the smile with one of her own. "Ok."

He paused, and then pointed at the cabin with his thumb. "I'll go change."

As he stepped forward and opened the screen door, she laughed again. "Why the sudden interest in running?"

He looked back at her, the screen door propped open. "You're not the only one who has to get their act together."

"You mean get your shit together."

"Exactly."

His eyes stayed on her, and she shuffled her feet under his scrutiny. "What?"

"Donna wouldn't have stopped by last night."

"You didn't loan her any books recently?"

"Actually I did. But I'm probably not getting it back. We broke up."

And then he turned and disappeared into the cabin.


	2. Chapter 2

**I had hoped to have this completed and uploaded earlier than this, but being a Chicago Cubs fan has resulted in much of my free time being taken up by watching playoff games over the past three weeks. Cubs finally won (yay!) and I finally finished this chapter.**

* * *

Walt needed a nap.

It was only a little after eleven in the morning, but the couch to his left looked more and more inviting with each passing hour. With no active case requiring his brain power and attention, he'd been focused on only two things since he'd arrived at the office, and the paperwork in front of him wasn't one of them.

Tucker Baggett looking out at his property and proclaiming that it would soon be a golf resort and residence community continued to send a chill up his spine, and the haunting words slipped in anytime he let his mind drift to the wrongful death suit. That and his looming suspension. He was trying his best to compartmentalize, so he wouldn't drive himself crazy thinking about the possibilities, but it was getting harder as the lawsuit seemed to get more and more out of his control.

But forcing himself to not think about the lawsuit only meant he had more time to think about the other thing on his mind.

Which brought him back to looking over at his couch.

He hadn't gotten much sleep last night, as thoughts of her on the other side of his bedroom door had kept him awake for some time. If he could get some shut-eye, maybe he could quiet his mind for a while. But who was he kidding. He knew his dreams weren't even safe.

A knock brought his gaze from the couch to the door.

Forcing his eyes down to the papers on the desk, he hoped to pull off that he was hard at work. "Come in Ruby."

The door opened, but instead of his receptionist peeking in, he caught a flash of blond hair out of the corner of his eye.

"You busy?"

"Terribly."

She laughed. "I bet."

He pushed back in his chair as he looked up.

"I thought you were taking the day off."

"I am." She stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "See, no uniform. And my hair's down."

He took in the rare sight of Vic in shorts before bringing his focus back to her face. "So, what part of 'day off' means coming into the office?"

"Well that part is all your fault."

" _My_ fault?"

Vic walked toward the window and then plopped down on the couch, leaned back into the cushion and stretched out her legs in front of her. "You're the one who suggested I take them on a tour of Absaroka County."

"And you chose the Sheriff's Department as one of your stops?"

"Oh, _I_ didn't choose this stop. I asked them if there was anywhere they wanted to make sure we checked out, and they unanimously picked the office. I just said yes because it meant we could be inside in the air conditioning."

He watched as she folded her arms behind her head.

"How has your morning together been so far?"

"Hot. What the hell is with this early September heat wave?"

He waited.

Her eyes went into an automatic eye roll. "It's been lovely since the moment I got home."

He paused. "Where do they think you stayed last night?"

Her arms fell to her lap. "Oh...uh. I told them I was staying with Cady. They have no idea she's out of town. I, uh...I thought it would be better than telling them I was bunking with you."

He nodded.

She sat up. "And as far as tonight goes, I'll call around. Maybe something opened up at one of the hotels I tried yesterday."

Between the casino and the holiday weekend, Walt doubted it. "You...you can stay at my place again. For the rest of the time your family is here."

"Really?"

"Yep."

She grinned. "I wasn't too much of a pain in the ass, barging in on you last night?"

"Not too much."

"Speaking of pains in the ass..." she stretched and then stood, her hands slipping into the back pockets of her shorts. "They're in the other room, probably driving Ferg and Ruby crazy. Want to pull the band-aid off and get this over with?"

Walt straightened in his chair. "Oh...uh..."

"Come on. They travelled almost two thousand miles to get a look at your bright and shiny face."

"They didn't come to see me."

"They absolutely came to see you." She walked toward the door, her hand resting on the knob. "Remember when you told me that they want to get a glimpse of my life out here. Well, Sheriff, as someone in my life, you're on their radar. My mother has been sneaking in questions about you all morning."

"What kind of questions?"

He was greeted by what could only be called a mischievous smile. "You'll have to find out for yourself. Come on. I told them I'd bring you out. If you take too long, you're just giving my mother a reason to come in. And I'm sure she's dying to see your office."

She gave him a look and then pulled open the door. Extracting himself from his chair, he stood and crossed the room to join her side.

She looked up at him with a wink. "Brace yourself."

The moment they stepped into the other room a hush settled in as the group, standing just inside the low swinging door, turned to look their way.

Ferg stepped forward. "Hey Sheriff. We were just talking about you."

The young deputy looked over at Vic, who stepped into the middle of the room. "Mom. Dad. This is Sheriff Longmire. Walt, these are my parents, Victor and Lena Moretti."

Walt stepped forward with an outstretched hand, which Vic's mother took in hers. Her dark hair didn't do anything to diminish her strong resemblance to her daughter.

"Sheriff."

"Mrs. Moretti, it's good to meet you."

"Lena. Please."

"Walt."

He felt her studying him as her palm remained in his.

Coming to his rescue, Vic placed her hand at her father's elbow and pulled him forward. "Dad, this is Walt."

Lena Moretti finally released his hand and stepped back, her eyes never leaving his face.

Walt extended his hand and felt Victor Moretti's firm grasp.

"Sheriff."

"Chief Moretti."

There were no offers of first names. Walt felt the scrutiny of her father's assessment of him. Victor Moretti was shorter than Walt, but his presence was large.

"Vic's been giving us a tour of your county. How long have you been Sheriff here?"

Walt was fairly certain Vic would have shared this information with her father at some point. "A little over seventeen years."

Victor nodded. "Ah, that's right. Vic mentioned something about an election a while back."

Walt smiled inwardly, recognizing the detective skills at play, both as a fellow lawman and parent. He'd used similar techniques himself.

Vic placed a hand on Walt's arm, directing his attention toward the area in front of the swinging door. "And these two are my brothers, Michael and Victor Junior."

The two men ambled forward, each shaking Walt's hand before stepping back.

Walt saw Michael look around the room. "I didn't expect so much...wood."

Vic's hand went to her hip, which was jutted slightly to the side. Walt briefly wondered if it felt strange to her to be in the office without her holster and badge on her belt.

"I told you this place used to be a library."

"Well...yeah, but our local branch doesn't have this much wood." He glanced behind him. "Or that many steps."

"You're just jealous because your crappy metal desk doesn't have as much character as mine. And clearly your ass is out of shape if you find those stairs tough to clim—"

"What are you working on, Sheriff? Any interesting cases?" It was Vic's mother cutting in as she made her way over to Vic's desk and then looked through the doorway toward his open office.

"Uh...things have been quiet this week."

"Which is a welcome change." Vic came in with a nervous laugh. "With the casino coming in, there's seldom a peaceful moment these days."

Vic walked toward her mother, standing between her and the doorway, blocking her view. "I think we should head out. We don't want to keep these three from their work."

Lena Moretti looked back and forth between Walt and her daughter. "Walt just said that it's a slow day."

"He said it's a quiet day, which isn't the same thing. There's a stack of paperwork he needs to get through, and knowing how things can get around here, there's bound to be a case that falls into his lap at some point. Let's not disturb him any more than we have."

Lena stepped forward until she was standing in front of him, looking up. He noted that she was several inches shorter than Vic. "Walt, would you join us for dinner this evening?"

"Mother!"

Lena ignored Vic's outburst.

"We've already invited the others. Ruby's bringing dessert and Ferg's bringing an appetizer."

Ferg perked up. "Actually, Meg's making the appetizer and I'm bringing her."

Lena's gaze was unwavering, and her resemblance to Vic continued to grow as she held his eyes. "So, what do you say, Sheriff? Care to join us?"

He glanced over at Vic, whose hip was jutted out even further. He could almost see her mentally trying to figure out how she was going to host everyone at her place.

Eyes back on Lena, he nodded. "I'll bring the beer."

Lena graced him with a wide smile. "Six o'clock. We'll be grilling. A pre-Labor Day BBQ, if you will."

Walt nodded again. "Sounds good."

"Do you need Vic's address?"

Walt again smiled inwardly. Lena Moretti possessed some detective skills as well.

"God, mother, they all know where I live. Let's go." Vic marched through the swinging door.

Lena's eyes held his for a moment longer, before following her daughter across the room.

Vic waited at the door, ushering them out, and then turned toward Walt, her eyebrows slanting apologetically. "Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for."

"You say that now, but I feel a need to apologize in advance. For tonight."

"It'll be fine."

She rolled her eyes.

Walt smiled. "What's the next stop on the Absaroka County tour?"

"We're heading over to the Pony for lunch." She paused to look over her shoulder. "I'm surprised my mother hasn't invited you to that as well."

Hearing Vic mention the Red Pony, Walt thought back to his last interaction with Henry.

Vic looked back up at him. "You ok?"

He shook Henry and their strained relationship from his thoughts. "Yep."

She held his eyes for a moment. Yes, there certainly was an undeniable, and unsettling resemblance between mother and daughter. "I'll see you tonight. And again...I'm sorry."

"I'll brace myself."

Vic laughed out loud. "I hope that's enough."

XX

She'd been kicked out of her own home by her mother, who had demanded more room for her meal preparation. Vic didn't think she could take her mother mentioning a lack of counter space one more time, so she didn't mind getting the boot.

With her dad and Victor occupied with getting the grill ready, she'd volunteered to make a run over to her storage unit to pick up more lawn chairs along with her patio table. Michael had offered to go with her, and if it hadn't been for the table she'd have turned him down to get some time to herself, but she knew she'd need some help getting the table into the back of her truck. And one-on-one time with Michael wouldn't be that bad. Her family was more digestible in small increments.

She apologized for the radio selection as soon as she got her truck running, her hand immediately going to the dial in hopes of finding a more respectable song choice. She admonished herself for not keeping a few CDs in her vehicle, and after a futile attempt to find a station that wasn't playing crap or full of static, she turned off the radio completely.

She could tell that Michael was looking at her, but she kept her eyes on the road.

"Everything ok, Vic?"

She glanced over at him. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, you've been kind of quiet since we got here."

"I can't be a little quiet without there being something wrong?"

"You? No."

She slapped the side of his arm. "Well maybe I've changed. Maybe Wyoming has changed me. If you haven't noticed, things go at a different pace in this neck of the woods."

"I know. I'm trying to wrap my mind around you being out here. You haven't gone crazy?"

"It was an...adjustment, but it's not that bad."

Her eyes back on the road, she could still feel his gaze on her.

"You didn't eat a lot at lunch."

"I wasn't that hungry." She'd had a strong wave of nausea she hadn't quiet recovered from by the time they'd arrived at the Pony, and it had taken all her concentration not to let her family in on the fact. She looked over at her brother. "But don't worry. I'll be ravenous by dinner."

She took in his doubtful expression. "And why all the concern for my well-being? When did you stop being so self-centered?"

"I can't show some concern for my sister?"

"You? No."

He laughed heartily. "Maybe I've changed. You've been gone for most of the last few years, and haven't been around to notice."

"Doubtful. Morettis don't change that fast. Or that much."

"Even Morettis can change under the right circumstances."

Vic flashed her eyes in his direction. "Holy shit! Who's the girl?"

He laughed again. "What? I can't change all on my own?"

She gave him a sideways glance.

"There's no girl."

She continued with the pointed look before directing her gaze back out the windshield. "Yeah, I don't believe you."

"Well, then, who's behind your change?"

"My change?"

"You said you've changed since coming to Wyoming, so who's responsible for this quieter, calmer version of Vic?"

"Maybe I've just matured."

"Right."

"I did get divorced a few months ago."

She could feel him assessing her from the passenger seat.

"Nah. Sean's not responsible. If that was the case you'd just be bitter." He paused. "And I've noticed you're swearing a lot less too. The change is definitely not due to Sean."

Vic pulled her truck in front of her storage unit, placed the vehicle in park, and then turned toward him. "You've got to stop it with this overly observant shit. It's freaking me out."

He laughed as he reached for the door handle. "It's only freaking you out because there's something you don't want me to figure out."

XX

She saw him out of the corner of her eye as she placed the cooler closer to the table. Everyone else was absorbed in conversation and hadn't noticed the movement near the front of the RV. Seeing him hovering, she felt frustration swell within her, and with a quick glance at the others, she slipped around the side of the motor home.

"Travis, what are you doing here? You can't be here."

"You're having a party."

"I'm not having a party."

"Why wasn't I invited? We're neighbors."

"First of all, it's not a party, so there's nothing to invite you to. And second of all we're neighbors, not friends, and there are boundaries, Travis."

Travis peeked around the corner of the RV, ignoring her second comment. "It sure looks like a party."

She yanked him back. "It's just some people from work. Not a party."

"I know who you work with. There are people here who are not with the Sheriff's Department."

"Not everyone I've worked with is part of the Absaroka County Sheriff's Department."

Travis puffed his chest out. "Well, I was almost a deputy, so I—"

She rolled her eyes. "You were never even close to being a deputy."

"Well...I still think I could fit in."

Hands on hips, she pursed her lips. "Travis, you can't keep your trap shut. I can't risk you blabbing your mouth off in front of these people, sharing...things...that you shouldn't be sharing."

"I won't. I can keep a secret. I've kept your secret so far."

"That's only because you haven't been around anyone to tell it to."

"Well...I didn't tell my mom. Even though she was pissed I moved out and demanded to know the reason why."

"You did NOT move out because of me."

Travis looked a little flustered. "No. Of course not. But still, I haven't told her."

She ran a hand across her face, before crossing her arms. "Travis, you need to leave. Now. I mean it."

Travis matched her pose. "Fine. Maybe I'll go and invite some neighbors over and have my own party."

"Go ahead."

Travis turned and almost ran in to Walt. "Of course _you_ got invited. No surprise there." Travis threw his arms in the air and stormed off.

Walt watched him for a moment and then turned toward her. "What was Travis doing here?"

"Oh...uh, he lives a few units down, and was just passing by."

Walt turned toward the direction Travis had headed. "Travis lives here? I thought he lived with his mother."

"He did. Until recently. Now, I guess, we're kind of neighbors."

"Has he been bothering you? Do you need me to talk to him?"

"Travis. No. You know him. He's just over exuberant some times. Ok, a lot of the time. He helped me fix the RV, and now I think he thinks we're friends. I'm working on boundaries with him. But he's harmless."

Walt was looking at her like he was trying to read if there were more to the situation. She pointed to the boxes in his arms. "Let's get those in to the fridge."

XX

With the bottle cool in his hands, Walt eased himself in to the lawn chair. The day's lingering heat was still intense, and the sun in the cloudless sky had not yet set. Bringing the beer to his lips, he watched Vic's father explain his BBQing technique to Ruby, who was sipping ice tea as they stood together at the grill.

A shadow moved over him, and he turned his head to find Lena Moretti standing slightly to his right.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." He stood up to pull over a chair, but she beat him to it.

He gestured toward the cooler. "Would you like a beer?"

"I'm fine. Please sit."

He sank back into his chair.

"The boys seem to be enjoying swapping stories with your deputy."

Walt nodded as he looked over to the picnic table where Ferg and his girlfriend sat with Vic's brothers. "I bet you've heard more than your fair share of stories over the years, what with your husband and three of your children going into law enforcement."

She nodded. "I knew what I was getting into when I married Victor. The stories started on our first date, and haven't ceased since."

He grinned as he brought his beer to his lips. "Vic's told me a story or two of her Philadelphia cop days."

Lena looked over at him. "That's good to hear. She doesn't talk much about those days with us anymore..." She paused. "I'm assuming she told you about how things ended at the Philadelphia police department for her."

He took another sip and then nodded. "Yep."

"At least she tells us about her current job. Or some of it, anyway." She peered over at him. "Should I be worried?"

"Worried?"

"That she seems selective in what she shares with us."

He bowed his head slightly. "My daughter is the same way. I think they feel they need to protect us. Or maybe they're just trying to show their independence." Lifting his head, he saw concern etched in Lena's eyes. "But nothing for you to worry about in regards to Vic. She can more than handle anything that's thrown her way."

"That's what I'm most worried about. That she thinks she can handle...everything...herself."

He glanced over at the RV. Vic hadn't returned yet since stepping inside the vehicle a few minutes ago.

"But it's good to know who she works with. Helps put a mother's mind at ease."

"Ruby is fiercely protective. Your daughter's in good hands."

Lena laughed lightly as she looked over at Ruby and her husband. "I bet she is. Sounds like she's been looking after you and the previous sheriff for years."

"That she has."

Lena's eyes again returned to him. "How is my daughter doing? As I mentioned, I don't think we get the whole picture from her."

Walt looked down at the bottle in his hands. "It's been a tough year for Vic..."

"With the divorce?"

Walt nodded.

"And one of your deputies dying?"

Again he nodded.

And Chance Gilbert. And Gorski. And Jacob Nighthorse and his casino. And the friction between Vic and Branch prior to his death. Not to mention Walt's own obsessive behavior. But looking over at Lena, he didn't want to worry her further by pouring more gasoline on the fire.

"But Vic's been handling it."

Lena scoffed at his statement. "By buying herself an RV?"

The corners of his mouth lifted, and again he looked over at the motor home. "I admit I was a little surprised as well, but I think Vic just wanted a change, and a little independence."

"There are other ways to get both those things."

"Your daughter likes to do things her own way."

Lena laughed. "And once she makes her mind up...there's no holding her back."

"That's part of what makes Vic...Vic. And it makes her loyal...which is a rare commodity these days."

He could see Lena watching him closely out of the corner of his eye. "Her loyalty. Is that why she's still here?"

Walt turned his head in Lena's direction. "Why she's still here?"

"Victor and I have been trying to determine why Vic stayed in Wyoming after things ended with Sean. I'm not sure if you know, but she wasn't thrilled to be moving out here. And when the reasons for her being out here...no longer seemed to be...reasons for her needing to stay, we expected her to want to come home. But she hasn't even brought it up."

"Is that why you're here? Are you trying to figure out what's keeping Vic in Durant?"

"Or who."

"Or who?"

"The person, or persons, she feels so much loyalty to, that she's chosen to stay." She held his eyes. "Or maybe her staying is about more than loyalty."

Walt thumbed the corner of the beer label on the bottle in his hands. "Vic hasn't talked to me about why she decided to stay." In fact, he was surprised by it himself most days, if he were being honest. And if he were being honest, he'd also admit it was also one of his greatest fears. That she would decide to leave.

"Is there anyone Vic's particularly close to? Anyone she's dating?"

"Dating?"

"Is Vic seeing anyone?"

He thought back to Vic telling him that she was no longer involved with Eamonn.

"Uh...not that I know of."

"I saw her talking to a man earlier. In front of the RV. You seemed to know him."

"Travis? No, she's not seeing Travis."

"What about the owner of the bar Vic took us to eat lunch at? Henry. Could Vic be involved with him?"

"Vic and Henry? No."

"You sure? You know him well?"

"Since I was eleven years old."

"He was charming and attentive."

"Henry is that way with almost everyone. Especially new female customers."

She still looked doubtful.

"Plus, Henry has been too busy these last months to be involved with anyone."

"And there's no one else you can think of?"

He shook his head. "But I'm not privy to all the details of Vic's personal life, so the best person to ask would be her."

"I already tried that approach."

"Staunch denial?"

"The staunchiest." At his smile, she laughed. "Real word. Look it up."

"Will I only find it in Philadelphia dictionaries?"

"Actually, in dictionaries written by Italian-American mothers with stubborn, strong-willed daughters."

"My daughter can be that way too, so I might need to borrow that dictionary."

She smiled. "Usually daughters get that from at least one of their parents."

Walt pointed at her with an arched eyebrow. She laughed as she nodded. "Although I'd never admit it if asked by any of my family members."

Walt directed a thumb at himself. "Not only did I role model those traits for Cady, I'm a genetic carrier. Being stubborn and strong-willed run in the Longmire line."

Lena rested her head against the back of the chair, and the two silently watched the rest of the group for a moment.

"I'll take that beer you offered earlier."

Walt nodded, rose and claimed the last Rainier in the cooler. Removing the lid, he handed it to her.

Looking up at him, she tipped the bottle back and then swallowed. "I hear you own a horse?"

He slid back into his chair. "Yes."

"Did you grow up with horses?"

"Yes. My father was a farrier."

She tilted her head in his direction. "We're thinking about going horseback riding tomorrow. Would you like to join us?"

"Oh...um..."

"I'm sure Vic would prefer that you come. You could be a buffer." At his raised eyebrow, she shrugged. "I know my daughter well."

He watched her take another swig, before resting the bottle on the arm of the chair, her eyes on the RV.

XX

Walt stepped into the RV, relieved by the air-conditioned air that hit him the moment he opened the door. Vic wasn't in sight, but the closed door at the rear of the RV indicated she was likely in the bathroom. He turned further to his left and opened the fridge, greeted by an even colder blast of air. Closing his eyes, he let the cool air wash over him for a moment, before reaching in and pulling out a beer.

He heard the bathroom door open, and turned to see Vic emerge. He held up a bottle. "Want one?"

She shook her head. "I'm still working on mine."

He closed the refrigerator door and stepped back so she could pass. He watched her make her way to the sink, where she picked up her bottle and took a swig, before turning and leaning against the counter.

"I was getting worried about you. You've been in here a while. Hiding out?"

"Yes." She lifted the bottle to her lips again before placing it down on the counter. She pointed at the sink behind her, which was loaded with dishes submerged in soapy water. "Plus someone's got to do the dishes."

He watched her turn, wash and rinse off a plate, and then grab a nearby towel to dry it off. As she reached to put it away, he stepped forward and put down his beer.

"Let me help. I'll wash. You can dry since you know where everything goes."

Stepping aside, her eyebrow arched. "Are you hiding out too?"

He plunged his hands into the warm water. "Just taking a break."

"See. I warned you about my family."

He lifted the sponge. "A break from the heat."

He rinsed a bowl and she took it from his hand. "Right. The heat." She looked at him for a moment before drying the dish and placing it in one of the cabinets. "Was it my mother or my father who was bringing the heat?"

He laughed. "Your mother."

"Oh my God, what did she ask you?"

"That is between me and my inquisitor."

"Seriously. What inappropriate things was she asking you?"

He handed her some silverware. "You never told me what questions your mother asked you this morning, so I think we're even."

She bumped his side with her hip. "That's not fair."

He chuckled as he pulled a serving dish out of the water and began to scrub it. Sensing Vic was looking at him he turned his head. Her eyes lifted from his shirt to his face.

"I noticed you spruced yourself up this evening. Trying to impress my mother?"

"I didn't spruce myself up."

"Um...that looks like a new shirt, and I haven't seen you this clean-shaven since...since you first started seeing Donna. Oh my God, _you_ are trying to impress my mother!"

"I'm not—"

"And your denial means nothing, since you denied you were trying to impress anyone back then as well."

He turned and handed the serving dish to her. "I am NOT trying to impress your mother."

"Uh huh." She took the dish and dried it, a smile growing on her face, and then placed her palm on his chest. Surprised by the action, he looked down at her hand. But before he could question its presence there, she lightly pushed him back, and then turned and placed the serving platter above the fridge once he was out of the way. When she turned back around, they were facing each other, in the small space between the stove and the refrigerator.

"I can't get a read on whether it's working?"

"Whether what's working?"

She fingered his sleeve before dropping her hand. "Whether she's impressed."

"I'm NOT trying to impress her."

"Which is why it could be working."

He paused. "She did just invite me to go horseback riding with all of you tomorrow."

Vic hung her head as she let out a sigh. "Ugh. I can't believe her." Her eyes lifted and settled on his. "Sorry. You don't need to...you've already been kind enough to join us tonight. You don't need to give up more of your weekend to hang with the Morettis."

He rubbed the back of the neck. "It's ok."

Her eyebrow rose.

He shrugged. "I already accepted."

"I can make an excuse for you."

"Do you not want me to come?"

She straightened. "Oh. No. I...believe me, it would be easier if you were there. I'm just giving you an out, if you want one."

"Then it's ok. I'll be there."

She looked warmly at him for a moment, and then blinked. "Do you want some coffee?"

"It's a little too hot out for coffee."

"Right. Another beer?"

"Just got one from the fridge."

She nodded.

"Well, we should probably get back out there."

"Before anybody else figures out you've been hiding?"

She laughed. "I haven't been hiding. I was doing the dishes."

"Actually _I_ was doing the dishes. _You_ were drying. Purely a stalling tactic on your part, if you ask me."

Her hand pushed lightly against his chest. "Stop. You're supposed to be on my side."

"I find it best not to take sides when it comes to the Morettis."

She grinned. "You haven't even known them a day, how do you know what's best?"

"I know one of them quite well. And you and your mother seem to be cut from the same cloth. So probably safest to stay neutral."

She stepped forward. "You think it's safest to stay neutral?"

This time it was his turn to grin. "Yep."

She tapped his chest. "Well, we'll see if you're still singing that tune after going horseback riding with my family tomorrow. Morettis out of their element can put the pressure on anyone."

"Looking forward to it. I remember your last time around a horse, so it should definitely be interesting seeing five Morettis outside their comfort zone."

Her eyes widened. "Is that why you actually agreed to go? You want to see me on a horse?"

He shrugged, doing little to mask his smile.

And then she was close, looking up at him, a gleam in her eye. "Well, watch out. I just might surprise you."

He must have reacted to her closeness when their chests lined up, because her expression suddenly changed. But instead of stepping back, she leaned in and touched her lips to his. The pressure was brief, and she was already pulling away before he truly registered what was happening.

Still standing close, she looked up at him. "Sorry. Just seeing if you'd stay neutral if I surprised you—"

Maybe it was because he hadn't stayed neutral. Maybe it was because she could sense that his body had gone on alert. Maybe it was because he didn't pull back. But instead of stepping further away, she lifted up on her toes and pressed her mouth to his again. And this time it registered, and he leaned in to her. Her arms slid around his waist, and then his arms followed suit, wrapping around her back. Her lips were soft, and warm, and eager, and he pulled her closer in response.

He heard the laughter at the same time she must have, and then felt her stiffen. They pulled apart, breaking the seal their mouths had formed and dropping their arms slightly, but their faces hovered close. At the second, louder laugh, they both stepped back.

Lena Moretti's voice came clearly through the closed door. "I'll grab some more, and see what those two are up to."

Vic quickly pivoted and stepped toward the sink. Walt grabbed his beer from the counter, and stepped back against the fridge, bringing the bottle to his lips just as the door opened.

Lena glanced between the pair as she stepped into the vehicle. "Hey you two. Everyone's wondering if you bailed on us."

Vic lifted a dish from the water as she turned toward her mother.

"Walt was just keeping me company as I cleaned up in here. With so little counter space, I thought it best to not let the dishes pile up."

Lena's eyes travelled over to Walt, who tipped his bottle toward her in response before taking another sip.

After a moment Lena shifted her gaze back to Vic. "Well, the cooler is empty, and I thought it might be time to serve Ruby's cookies."

Vic dried her hands on the towel before hanging it on the door handle to the oven. "Sounds good to me. I'll grab the cookies, and Walt can bring out the beer."

Walt watched Vic claim her bottle from the counter, and then walk over to the table and pick up the container Ruby had brought. Without looking back at them, she exited the RV, a warm blast of air hitting him before the door banged shut.

XX

Vic was starting to get nervous.

No, that wasn't quite true. Vic was already nervous.

In the time since the three of them had emerged from the RV, Walt had not made eye contact with her once.

He had handed out beers, and placed the remainder in the cooler before taking the open seat by Ruby, the chair furthest from hers.

He had accepted a cookie from her as she walked around with the open container, but hadn't looked up.

And he had engaged in conversation with the group, but not directly with her.

Vic started to peel the beer label on the bottle in her hands. The bottle that no one seemed to notice was the same bottle she'd been holding all evening. The bottle whose contents she had dumped and replaced with water, so her beverage choice wouldn't look suspicious to those who knew how much she liked beer.

"Vic!"

Startled, Vic looked up at Michael, who had called out her name. "What?"

"It didn't seem like you noticed, but some of your guests are leaving."

With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Vic looked over at Walt. Sure enough, he was standing, as was Ruby, with her father in front of them, shaking their hands.

She placed the bottle on the cement near her feet, and rose, but stayed by her chair.

"You're leaving already?" It was her mother, returning from the RV.

Walt stepped forward. "It's getting late."

Her mother looked down at her watch. "It's not even nine o'clock.

"Yes, but it's two hours later for you, since you're probably still on East Coast time."

Ruby waved goodbye to Vic's brothers. "I'm sorry Lena, but I need to get home. I have early morning plans with my niece."

Picking up the cookie tin from the patio table, Vic joined Ruby's side. Ruby slid her hand around Vic's waist as they walked toward the parked cars, and lightly squeezed. "Thank you for having us over, Vic. It was wonderful spending time with your family."

Vic could see Walt a few feet from Ruby's left side, but he was conversing with her mother and staring directly in front of him. Unable to hear what they were talking about, she tried to focus on Ruby. "Thanks for coming on such short notice, Ruby." She lifted the container in her hands. "And thanks for bringing the cookies."

"Keep those. I made enough so there'd be extras for you."

"Oh, Ruby, you don't need to—"

"I insist." She leaned in closer, lowering her voice. "You've had quite the appetite at the office lately, so having some homemade treats on hand is probably a good thing. You probably haven't done much cooking in your new place yet."

Vic blushed, hoping Ruby's observation skills hadn't picked up on any other reasons for the recent changes in her eating habits.

Ruby dropped the arm she'd had around Vic as they neared her vehicle. Walt stepped forward, held open the driver-side door and helped Ruby get in. She looked up at the three of them, her eyes settling on Vic's mother. "Thanks again for the delicious dinner."

Her mother smiled down at Ruby. "You're welcome."

Walt closed the door and stepped back. They watched as Ruby waved at them through the window and then pulled away.

And now it was just the three of them, standing at the curb below the street light.

Her mother looked back at the group at the picnic table, and Vic briefly followed her gaze. She turned to find Walt looking at her. He dropped his eyes and started walking toward the Bronco. Her mother turned back toward them, and they followed him across the road.

Arriving at the side of his truck, he opened the door, and then paused, his eyes skimming over hers and then landing on her mother's. "Thanks for dinner."

Her mother placed her hand on his arm. "Thank you for joining us, Walt. I know Vic thinks we were being intrusive by inviting all her co-workers, so thank you for humoring us."

Vic rolled her eyes, but Walt just smiled. "That's a parent's job. To be intrusive."

Her mother laughed. "Yes, it is."

She stepped forward to hold Walt's door open wider. "Vic will call you when we've finalized our plans tomorrow."

There was a pause, and then he looked over at Vic, holding her gaze for the first time. Her breath caught. Was he going to turn down the offer to join them horseback riding?

"Ok." He nodded at Vic and then lowered himself into the driver's seat.

Her mother closed the door, and waved when he looked up. He waved back, and then put the truck in drive and pulled forward. Vic watched the Bronco until it turned right and disappeared from sight.

She turned to find her mother looking at her curiously. "What?"

XX

The porch light was on, but she didn't know if she should take that as a good sign. He could have just forgotten to turn it off.

Cutting the ignition, she continued to stare at the light. He would have heard her truck approach. He _had_ the night before, coming to the door when she lingered on his porch, unsure of whether to knock. Tonight, she waited, but he didn't make an appearance in the doorway.

Maybe the light hadn't been left on for her. Maybe he'd forgotten he'd offered up his couch. Or regretted having done so. Or maybe he had left it on intentionally, and he was sitting on the other side of the closed door, frozen in his seat like her, wondering why she hadn't knocked yet.

Slowly she reached down to her hip and unfastened her seat belt. Breathing in deeply, she reached over and grabbed her backpack, and then exited the vehicle.

She walked the path, and then climbed the stairs. She lifted her hand to knock and then saw that the inner door had been left ajar. Pulling back the screen door, she pushed the front door open.

"Hello?"

Her question rang out, greeted by silence.

Stepping in, her eyes immediately went to Walt's bedroom door, which was closed. The kitchen was dark, the only light coming from a lamp on the nearby end table. She turned the outside light off, and then stepped forward and shut the door behind her.

It was then that she saw a pile of folded sheets and blankets sitting on the couch, and when she turned she noticed that the window near the desk was open, and a fan had been placed on the desktop, its blades rotating. All of this seemed to confirm he still expected her to come.

"Walt?"

Again no response.

Dropping her bag on the floor, Vic lifted the bedding and moved it to the coffee table, before proceeding to make up her bed. When she completed the task, she again looked over at his door. It was still closed, with no sound coming from behind it.

Maybe he had gone to bed, unwilling to confront her, given what had happened between them in her kitchen.

Vic lifted her bag and pulled out what she was going to sleep in. With another glance at his door, she changed into the cotton shorts. She had just finished pulling on the t-shirt when the bedroom door opened and Walt stepped out. He was also wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and was running a towel over his wet hair. When he lifted his head and saw her, he paused, clearly surprised by her presence in the cabin.

He dropped his hand holding the towel.

"I didn't realize you were here."

She directed her thumb toward the door. "The door was open."

He nodded.

"I called out, when I came in, but you didn't answer so I assumed you had gone to bed."

"I was in the shower." He paused. "Do you need to use the bathroom?"

"Uh...no. I used the one at my place before coming over."

He looked over at the front door, seemingly lost in thought, and Vic wondered if he was reconsidering letting her stay over.

"If it's not ok that I stay here, I can figure something else out."

Walt's eyes focused back on her, looking somewhat startled. "Oh...no it's fine."

He looked around. "I know it's a bit warm still. I hope the open window and fan help."

She looked over at the desk, nodding. "Wait. What about you? Won't you need the fan? Or shouldn't you at least keep your bedroom door open so you can get some air circulating in there?"

"Door? Oh...uh, no. I have another fan in there with me."

"Ok."

Walt gave another glance around. "Ok...I'll, uh...I'll see you in the morning."

He then walked over to his room, pausing briefly in the doorway but not turning around, and then stepped in and closed the door behind him.

Vic stood there for a moment, staring at his closed door as she ran her hand through her hair.

Shaking her head, she walked over to the end table to turn off the lamp. Feeling her way back to the couch through the dark, she found her pillow and collapsed on to her back. Without pulling back the blanket or sheets, she stared up at the ceiling.

She could hear the fan. And the open blinds shifting in the breeze. And the crickets outside.

 _Shit._

Where was his easy playfulness from earlier?

Things had been going well between them recently, but now things were awkward. Had that kiss messed things up?

She could see shapes start to emerge as her eyes adjusted to the dark. Turning her head to look toward his bedroom, she found everything silent and still in that corner of the cabin.

Shifting to her other side, her back to the bedroom door, she sighed.

It was going to be a long night.

XX

Grey streaks of light were filtering through the blinds, finally announcing that morning was here.

She didn't know how long she'd been awake. It had been dark when her eyes had first opened, and she had looked up at the ceiling, unable to fall back asleep, for some time.

Unlike the previous morning, Walt had not emerged from his bedroom to make coffee. She silently hoped that his reason for not coming out yet was because he was sleeping in, since it was the weekend, and not because he was staying in the safety of his bedroom hoping to avoid her.

She sat up, and then taking the elastic from her wrist, put her hair up in a ponytail, a yawn escaping as she leaned into the back cushion.

She could escape, leaving before he got up, to avoid further awkwardness between them, but she wasn't ready to go back to the RV, and her family, this early.

She could make a run for coffee, but nothing open at this hour was close.

She could wait here on the couch until he woke up, and then confront the situation with him directly, but there was too much uncertainty in regards to how that conversation could go, and she didn't know if she was ready for it.

So she reached into her backpack and pulled out her running clothes.

Once changed, she glanced over in the direction of the bedroom, before tiptoeing her way across the room. She did her best to open the front door as quietly as possible and slip outside.

Out on the porch, she squatted down, blowing at a few strands of hair that slipped in front of her eyes, as she tied her laces.

Using the railing for balance, she stretched her hamstrings, and quads, and calves, and then turned her attention to her arms. Throughout the stretches, she looked out at the view in front of her in wonder. She hadn't been lying yesterday. It really was beautiful out here.

She walked to the top of the stairs, ready to start her run, when she remembered she'd left her phone, earbuds and armband inside.

She whipped around, yanked open the screen door, and almost ran into Walt, who was standing in the doorway, dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants, and wearing the running shoes he'd worn the previous morning.

They both paused, startled by the other's presence.

His hand went to the back of his neck as a slow smile broke on his face. "Can I join you?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Frigid temps outside cancelled my plans today, but on the plus side I finally had time to complete this chapter. Thanks for continuing to read and review this story.**

* * *

Standing in front of his desk, Walt looked out the cabin window at the very spot he and Tucker Baggett had stood.

 _"So, you think this whole thing was a set-up? Just Barlow trying to take one last swipe at you from beyond the grave?"_

 _"Yep."_

 _"Damn, Walt. I believe you. Barlow Connally was a son-of-a-bitch. But...that son-of-a-bitch happened to be my best friend. And do you know what he did the day before he died? He had some papers drawn up making me, Tucker Baggett, CEO of Connally Enterprises, should anything ever happen to him. That is a true friend. And now you're standing right in the way of our big plan."_

 _"What plan?"_

 _"A world class golf resort and residential community. In the most pristine place in God's green earth." He spread his arms wide as he looked out at the land before them. "Right here!"_

 _Walt stared at Tucker as he chuckled. His brow furrowed as he pointed down at the ground. "Here?"_

 _Tucker continued to laugh._

 _Walt gritted his teeth. "That's never going to happen. You get this land over my dead body."_

 _"Nah. I'll get it over cocktails with the realtor. You see Walt, I know how much money you have. And if the judge gives me half of what I'm askin', you're going to have to sell this whole property just to cover the judgment. Just think about it, Walt. Thirty-six holes of championship golf. Two hundred single-family parcels, each with over an acre of their own land. And a blue river trout stream running right through the middle of it. Why hell Walt, it's the stuff dreams are made of."_

Walt winced, his head hanging as he gripped the edge of the desktop.

He could lose all this. What he and Martha had worked so hard for. Scrimping and sacrificing so they could save up for _their_ dream. The dream she'd been shortchanged on. The dream he'd never expected he be shortchanged on as well. He'd never expected to find himself in this position.

 _"We will work hard to win, but...we have to plan to lose."_

 _Walt stared back at his lawyer in disbelief. "So, plan B is truth, and plan C is we lose?"_

 _Dave's eyebrows arched in sympathy. "We might. And there's a lot at stake, so I want to talk about protecting your assets."_

 _A beat, and then another. "How do I do that?"_

 _"Basically hide your money. Give it to other people...like your daughter."_

His daughter. Walt has never expected to be in this place with Cady either. He wouldn't be surprised if she wanted nothing to do with him, or his assets.

With an exhale, he wiped the beads of sweat still pooling on his brow since his early morning run.

Everything was off. Turned upside down in a matter of weeks. In moments like these, when he let the possibilities sink in, he felt the panic take grip.

He picked up the phone from the desk and punched the numbers his fingers had years of practice dialing.

"It is a beautiful day at the Red Pony and continual soirée."

Walt paused. He'd dialed Henry's number out of habit. The person he reached out to in times like these. The voice of reason when the demons within him rose to a level he couldn't squash down on his own.

With a click he ended the call. He wasn't ready. Henry probably wasn't ready either. He didn't know if time was enough to mend the rift between them, but it was certainly an element, and not enough time had passed since their fight.

His shoulders sagged as the anxious swirl in his gut gained momentum. Without Henry in his corner, without Cady, he ached.

The phone in his hand suddenly rang. Looking down at the call display, he half-expected to see that it was Henry calling him back after his abrupt hang-up, but instead it was a number he didn't recognize.

Walt lifted the handset to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey. It's Vic."

The tightness in his stomach lessened slightly hearing her voice. "Hey."

He could see her ponytail swishing, and her arms pumping, and her toned calves as he'd followed her down the trail earlier that morning.

"Wondering whose number this is?"

"Yep."

"It's my mother's mobile. Mine's charging."

He nodded in to the phone as he ran his finger along the edge of the desk.

"What are you up to?"

He paused. For a moment he considered opening up to her. But she had other things she was dealing with. He didn't want to add to her burdens. "Nothing much."

"You weren't taking a nap, were you? Recovering from our run?"

He grinned. He'd thought about taking a nap after her truck pulled away, leaving him with an empty house, and a couch still made up as a bed. "Nope."

"Glad to hear you're not totally wiped. I've been instructed to call you. Today's plans have been finalized. We have reservations at the South Fork Lodge. Our ride starts at 3:00, and we need to be there by 2:30."

"Ok."

"You know where it is?"

"Yep."

They both fell silent, and Walt closed his eyes, picturing her on the other end of the line.

"My mother wants me to ask you what we should wear."

He chuckled. "Is she standing next to you?"

"Actually, no. I'm in my truck, parked outside. The RV was a little cramped."

He laughed again. "I'm glad I could serve as an excuse for you to get out."

"Me too."

Again there was silence. Now he was picturing her in her truck.

"So what should we wear for our ride?"

"Oh...uh...even though it's still pretty warm, no shorts, and no open-toed shoes. No slip-on shoes either. And ideally something with a slight heal so your foot doesn't slip through the stirrup. Dressing for horseback riding is not about fashion. It's about comfort and safety."

"Is that your motto when you get dressed each morning?"

The corners of his mouth turned upwards. He could picture her smiling into her phone, a glint in her eyes. "Pretty much."

"Ok. Jeans and boots. Or at least shoes with laces."

"And don't forget sunscreen. And water. There's a lot of open, cloudless sky to contend with, as well as the heat."

"Jeans. Boots. Sunscreen. Water. Got it."

Silence.

When she'd paused under the shade of a tree half-way through their run, her hand resting on the trunk as she looked out into the distance, he'd stood a few feet back, pretending he was also appreciating the view. But instead he'd let his gaze linger on the side of her face, remembering their kiss in Vic's kitchen the previous night. And now, as he stood in front of his desk, phone at his ear, he recalled the kiss again.

"You know, you don't need to do this, Walt."

He shook his head to get his focus back to the present while she continued.

"I know you are all about honoring your commitments, but in the grand scheme of things, the ramifications of backing out are pretty minimal in this case. You don't need to give up your afternoon for us."

"I told you, Vic, it's ok."

"And I know you might have been caught up in trying to impress my mother last night, with your crisp new shirt, and your freshly shaven jaw. And that probably made you all sorts of agreeable to her requests, but you don't need to keep trying to impress her—"

"I'm not trying to impress her."

"Uh, huh."

"Are you trying to get me to back out of going, or do _you_ not want to go?"

"What?...no...that's not..."

"Are you nervous about going horseback riding?"

"Nervous?"

"They'll walk through the basics with you before we head out on the trail."

"I know. They told us that when we made the reservation."

"There's nothing to be worried about. They've been doing these rides for years, with people of all different skill levels. You'll be fine. They'll select a horse that's the right fit for you."

"The right fit?"

"Based on your skill-level, and size, and temperament."

"My temperament?"

"The horse's. They'll match you up with a horse with the right personality."

"I...um...ok."

There was another beat of silence between them.

"Walt, I...uh—"

Whatever she was about to say was suddenly cut off.

"Holy shit!"

He straightened. "What?"

"My mother just knocked on my window and scared the crap out of me."

Her voice became a little muffled, as if she was now covering the phone. "What?"

Walt couldn't make out Lena's words.

He heard what he assumed was the driver-side door opening.

"Are you still on the phone with Walt?"

"No, I'm talking to myself."

Vic's sarcasm was evident even in its slightly muted delivery.

"Did you tell him our reservation time?" He could picture Lena Moretti looking down at her still seated daughter as she asked her question.

"Yes."

"And did you tell him we need to be there early?"

"I did."

"And did you ask him what we should wear?"

"You know what Walt..." It was Vic, speaking to him. "I don't want to take up any more of your time. I'll call you if we have any new questions. Otherwise I'll see you around 2:30, up at the lodge."

"Sure."

Before he could say goodbye, she ended the call.

XX

Her knuckles white against the steering wheel, she tried to focus on the road ahead. She'd been unable to pay attention to much of the conversation happening beside and behind her during the drive.

What had she gotten herself into?

She swayed as her truck bounced up along the unpaved road leading to the ranch.

When she arrived at the lot, she recognized the green truck already parked at the far end of the first row, and waved at its owner as she slid into the spot next to it.

Once she cut her engine, she stayed in her seat and watched her family extract themselves from the vehicle and congregate on the sidewalk near Henry, stretching their limbs after the ride. Although she could not hear their words of greeting to each other, she saw both Henry and her mother turn her way and knew they were talking about her.

Henry stepped forward, and pulled open her door.

She put on a smile as she looked up at him. "Hey, Henry."

He nodded. "Vic." He leaned back against his truck, his arms crossed casually in front of his chest. "New SUV?"

"It's the rental my family got. I was voluntold to do the driving."

"Voluntold?"

"Kind of the opposite of volunteering."

He eyes crinkled in mirth as he nodded in understanding. Vic looked through her windshield at her mother, who was conversing animatedly with Michael, before placing her left boot on the gravel and then pulling herself out. "Thanks for helping us pick a place for this. And for joining us. Another selfless act. Hope you don't feel like you were voluntold as well."

Henry's eyebrow lifted. "Another?"

They both turned as a vehicle bearing the unmistakable Absaroka County Sheriff's Department decal entered the parking lot.

"My mother also convinced Walt to come."

She expected a smile or even a laugh, but the amusement in Henry's eyes faded as he watched the Bronco pull up to the other side of her vehicle.

Her eyes stayed on Henry as she rounded the front end of the SUV. When she turned to face the Bronco, she found Walt still in the cab, staring in front of him.

She looked over at Henry and then back at Walt. What was going on between these two?

But before she could ponder the question further, her mother stepped past her, catching Walt's attention as she neared his driver-side door. His eyes flashed to Henry, who now stood to Vic's side, and then to Vic, who tried to give him an apologetic grin. He looked back toward her mother without a reaction.

Seriously, what was going on?

XX

Vic walked up to the counter.

"I'm not sure if this where I need to go to check in, but we have a reservation to go horseback riding at three pm. Moretti."

The man behind the counter gave her a wide smile. "You're in the right place." He looked down at his computer screen. "And I see your reservation here." He glanced back up at her. "Do you want us to charge it to the credit card on file?"

"The one I made the reservation with? Yes."

"Ok. Great. I'm also going to need each of you to sign a waiver." He pulled some sheets of paper off the shelf behind him and began to flip through them. "Looks like I'm short by two. Let me go to the office and print out some copies. I'll be back."

He placed the forms in his hands down on the counter as a woman walked up beside her. "Hey Chip, looks like _both_ of my daughters want to go out riding with me this afternoon. Can you add Samantha to the list?"

"Sure."

Vic swiveled one of the forms around and began to read it while the two conversed. She lifted her head as Chip disappeared through the doorway into the back office. As the woman turned to leave, Vic reached out and placed her hand on her elbow.

"Can I...uh...can I ask you a question?"

The woman looked over at her. "Sure."

"Have you been riding long?"

"My whole life."

"If...if a member of my party is pregnant, is it ok to go horseback riding. Is it safe?"

"How pregnant is she?"

"Uh...100% pregnant."

The woman laughed lightly. "I mean, is she more than twelve weeks pregnant?"

"Oh...uh...no. Less than that."

"If she is more than twelve weeks pregnant, she shouldn't go at all. If she's less than twelve weeks along, there's some risk, but it comes down to a personal choice."

"What are the risks?"

"Well, beside potential discomfort of sitting on a horse while pregnant, there's a risk of falling off the horse, or getting kicked. How skilled of a rider is she?"

Vic pulled on her lower lip with her teeth. "Not very."

"Horses can be unpredictable no matter how good of a rider she is, but the risk goes up if she's not as skilled at handling the horse. In addition, there's the up and down jostling motion of riding that can lead to complications."

Vic nodded, taking in her words.

"Both times I was pregnant, my doctor told me I could go out during the first twelve weeks, but only walking. No trotting. No cantering. Some doctors believe the risk to be low during the first trimester, while others advise against horseback riding at any stage of pregnancy."

The woman paused. "I take it you didn't talk to your doctor about this?"

Vic looked up at her startled that she'd been found out and then shook her head.

"It's a personal decision. What's your gut telling you?"

Again Vic chewed on her lower lip. "It's telling me I shouldn't go. But...then I'm going to have to explain to everyone why I'm not going."

"You haven't told them you're pregnant yet?"

Vic shook her head.

The woman looked at her sympathetically. "Maybe just tell them you're not feeling well due to the heat."

"Yeah. Maybe."

The woman placed her hand briefly on Vic's arm. "Well, good luck."

"Thanks. I need it."

"With the pregnancy as well."

"Yeah, I need it for that too."

The woman smiled and walked away, leaving Vic to stare at the waiver form in her hands.

"Alright, Ms. Moretti. I've got some more copies."

Vic looked up as Chip returned to the counter and handed her two more of the forms.

She handed one of them back to him. "I, uh...I need to change the reservation from seven to six."

He blinked. "Oh. Ok."

She held up the papers. "And once everyone has signed these, do I bring them back here?"

"Yes. And then I'll direct you to where you need to go."

"Ok. I'll be right back with these."

With the waivers in hand, she turned around and crossed the room. At the door, she lifted her hand to push it open, but paused when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned, finding Henry standing there.

Their eyes connected, and in that moment she knew that he'd heard enough of her conversation with the woman to know the truth.

She wanted to look away, but held his gaze. "Please don't say anything to the others, Henry."

He silently looked back at her for a moment. "That is a big secret to keep."

Her chin dropped slightly, her eyes falling to her feet.

"But it is not my secret to share."

Her eyes flew back up to his. "Thanks."

He nodded and then stepped forward and held open the door.

At the top of the steps they both paused. She was thinking about what she was going to say to explain why she wouldn't be joining them. When she glanced over at Henry, she found him lost in thought as well.

"Is something going on between you and Walt?"

Henry blinked, but didn't turn his head. "That is also not mine to share."

Again she looked over at the group, her focus settling on Walt. Once she got through this afternoon she needed to get to the bottom of what was going on between the two lifelong friends.

Henry walked to the bottom of the three steps and looked up at her. "I will help you talk your way out of this." He gestured for her to join him. "Follow my lead."

XX

Vic tossed the paper towel in the nearby bin, pushed open the door and found Walt standing in the hallway outside the men's bathroom.

"Hey."

His head lifted, a slight look of surprise on his face. "Hey."

"You're here?"

"Just got here."

"I didn't know if you were coming."

"Yep."

"I thought, after the horseback riding, you might finally have had enough of the Moretti clan."

The corners of his mouth lifted. "Apparently not."

"And I didn't know if you were coming because we were having dinner...here."

"Here?"

"At the Red Pony. Something is clearly going on between you two."

He glanced down the hallway toward the door leading back into the main room of the bar.

"Come on Walt. What's going on?"

He still wouldn't look at her. "Henry and I are not seeing eye-to-eye about something."

"You don't always see eye-to-eye on things."

"This is different. It's...bigger."

She placed her hand on his arm and gave a small tug. He finally turned toward her, and she gave him a look, pleading for him to continue.

"Something came to light and I...I'm not sure we can get past it."

"What came to light?"

Again he looked at the door at the end of the hallway. "This isn't the time, Vic."

"It's never the time."

"I'll...I'll tell you, but not now. I don't want to ruin...you're here with your family, and you have enough going on."

"Ok. I'll drop it. For now. But I'm holding you to it."

He nodded, and when he looked at her, she remembered something. She lifted her hand to the side of his face. "Is Henry the reason your lip was split a couple weeks ago? And your cheek?

He didn't pull away. "I thought you were dropping it."

She shrugged.

When she pulled her hand back, his eyes stayed on hers.

"Was it nerves?"

She knit her eyebrows together. "Was what nerves?"

"The real reason for not going horseback riding today?"

She blinked as she looked up at him. It had been nerves, but not in the way he was thinking.

"I think you could have told them that you were nervous about going riding. They would have been understanding."

She arched an eyebrow. "Have you met my family? We don't admit weakness."

"It's not a sign of weakness—"

She dropped her eyes. "That's not how they would have seen it. They would have torn me apart."

"I wouldn't have let them."

She raised her eyes back up to his, and when she saw his warm gaze directed at her, she took a step forward, lifted up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. Her touch was tentative, but lingering, and she slowly felt him respond. When she felt one of his hands cover her hip, she slid her right arm around his waist and tugged him closer. His hand slid to her lower back, and then he turned them, backing her up against the wall. When she started to slide her hand inside the collar of his shirt, he pulled back.

"We shouldn't do this..."

Her eyes widened, and if she hadn't been against the wall she would have pulled further away.

His hand went to the hair at the back of his neck. "I mean here. Now. With your family on the other side of that wall. Anyone could walk into this hallway at any moment."

She ran her hand along her ponytail, her eyes locked on his.

He rested his right hand on the wall near her shoulder. "We can talk about this. Later tonight. When we're back at the cabin."

She arched an eyebrow. "Just talk?" Her thoughts were already going to things other than just talking.

A slow smile spread on his face in response.

They stood for a few moments, not talking, eyes still connected.

She swallowed. "I should go back to the table."

"Yep." He didn't take a step back.

"Did you see where my family was sitting?"

He nodded, his gaze dropping to her lips, before shifting back up to her eyes. After another few moments passed he stepped back.

She walked to the end of the hallway, and then with a quick glance in his direction, pushed open the swinging door. But before she stepped out, her mouth opened slightly in surprise.

"Holy shit!"

He took a few steps toward her. "What?"

She blinked. "Cady's here." She watched as Cady and Henry talked at the bar.

"Are you and Cady having problems?"

Knitting her brows together, she looked over at him. "What? No." She looked back out into the room. "I told my parents I was staying with Cady, not with you...and Cady has no idea." She saw Henry point in the direction of her family's table. "And now Henry's pointed out that my family is here...and...yep, she's headed in that direction."


	4. Chapter 4

**Had to take a longer-than-expected break from writing. Thanks for the patience and the motivating messages you've sent me. I'm glad to finally be back.**

* * *

Momentarily rooted in place, she watched as Cady made her way between the tables. It was a typically busy Saturday at the Pony, so there was no way for Vic to call out and be heard, or cut Cady off from this distance. And even if she ran, she wouldn't likely beat her to where her family was seated given Cady's head start. Plus, running would only call attention to the fact that there was a reason she was trying to intercept her.

With her hands balled into fists, she headed toward her fate.

As she neared the table, she saw Cady standing near her parents' chairs, leaning in to be heard. Her father rose, and extended his hand in greeting, followed by her mother, who did the same. Victor gave a half-wave from across the table and Michael smiled broadly in greeting from his seat. She watched as her father gestured toward the bathrooms without turning his head and suspected he was telling Cady where she was.

Vic took a breath and stepped forward.

"Cady. You're here."

Cady turned toward her with a grin. "Yeah. Thought I'd pick up some dinner since I didn't feel like cooking when I got home."

"And I see you've met my family."

"Henry pointed out that they were here. I didn't know that they..."

"Yep, we decided to come here after horseback riding."

Cady's eyebrows knit together.

Vic's mother placed her hand on Cady's arm. "We're only sorry you couldn't join us."

Although she could clearly read the confusion on Cady's face, Vic hoped it wasn't as evident to the others.

"Well I was out of..."

Vic stepped forward. "How about joining us now? For dinner."

"Oh...um..." Cady looked around the table.

"We can start by getting some more drinks." She put her hand on Cady's elbow, lightly guiding her toward the bar as she called out over her shoulder. "We'll be right back."

With her eyes on Henry, who was handing a beer to a patron, Vic slowly let out a breath. There were several individuals in front of them waiting to order drinks, so she turned toward Cady. "You're back early."

Cady looked over at her, eyebrows slightly raised.

Vic shrugged. "Henry said something about you being in Denver until tomorrow."

"There were some folks down there I needed to talk to about my client's case. One of the individuals I was hoping to meet with tomorrow morning had a family situation come up, and had to leave town."

Cady no longer bore the smile she'd put on for her family, and Vic could now see a little tiredness in her gaze. "Cady, I uh...I heard about what happened at your office. Walt said you shot someone in self-defense."

Cady nodded, her eyes lowering. "I got your message. Sorry I never called you back."

"Are you ok?"

With a half-smirk, Cady lifted her gaze. "Not really. But thanks...for asking."

The tiredness was still there. And maybe something else. "Have you been able to talk to someone about it?" With how quickly Walt had changed the subject after informing her and Ferg about what had happened, Vic didn't know how well _he_ was handling the situation his daughter had been in. She could only imagine what Cady was going through.

"Henry's been there for me. But mostly I've just thrown myself into my work. With the number of clients I've had recently, I haven't had time for much else."

Cady's eyes scanned Vic's face. "How have you been doing since Chance Gilbert was sentenced?"

God, his name still managed to send a chill through her. "Walt tell you?"

Cady shook her head. "I read about it in the paper."

Vic pursed her lips with a sigh. "Along with all the other shit they've been spinning about me. About Walt."

"Lately that's the only way I can keep tabs on what my dad has been up to, even if most of the information is false."

"Walt's had his hands full with the lawsuit, and..."

"Yeah, I know,"

Silence dangled between them momentarily, until a space cleared at the bar, and Cady stepped forward. Vic joined her side.

Henry greeted them from the other side of the counter. "What can I get you two?"

Vic gestured back to the table. "Can we get a second round for everyone? And..." She turned toward Cady. "What would you like?"

Cady paused for a moment in thought. "I'll take a Blue Moon."

Henry nodded and then turned to fulfill their order.

Placing her left forearm on the bar, Cady turned to face Vic. "I didn't realize your family was going to be in town."

Vic pressed her lips together with a laugh. "That makes two of us."

"They surprised you?"

"You could say that."

Glancing back at their table, Vic saw all four of them engaged in animated conversation.

"You'd think that somewhere during their planning one of them would have thought to reach out to see if this weekend was good for me, or at least to give me a heads up. But, no. Didn't even occur to them."

"Here you go Cady."

Vic turned to find Henry resting a tray full of beers on the bar and sliding a Blue Moon in Cady's direction.

"And this one..." Henry caught her eye. "...is for you." Vic took the bottle he handed to her, knowing even before she'd brought it to her lips that its contents had been replaced by water.

She blinked, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth. "Thanks, Henry."

He nodded, a smile of his own grazing his lips.

"Oh..." Vic tapped the fingers of her left hand lightly against the wood. "Almost forgot. Can you add a Rainier for Walt?"

Vic watched as both of their smiles faded, and two pairs of eyes lifted to scan the room.

"My dad's here?"

"Yeah. He was on his way to the bathroom as I was headed back to the table."

Vic watched as Cady stared silently in the direction of the bathrooms.

Henry turned to pull a can of Rainier out of the fridge. Without glancing in their direction, he silently moved around the bar and made his way over to their table with the tray of drinks.

Cady stood still at Vic's side. "I...I'm not sure it's such a good idea for me to join you guys."

Vic glanced over at her. "Because of Walt?"

"Things have been kinda strained between us recently. The last time we talked...it didn't...it didn't go well."

Had Walt been making a mess of _both_ of his closest relationships?

"I think you should still join us. You said earlier you've been working non-stop. It would be good for you to have a break."

Cady's lips twisted with indecision, her unease apparent. "I don't know."

"Plus, I could really use your help. I can only take so much of my own family, so the more people there are to help serve as a buffer the better. And as far as you and Walt, there will be enough people in the mix this evening that you'll be able to talk to him as much or as little as you want."

Vic tried to convey her confidence in this idea through the smile she gave Cady, who still seemed to be wavering.

"Just give it a try. You can leave whenever you want."

Cady breathed in deeply. "Ok. But don't be surprised if I pull your gun and use it in self-defense."

Vic laughed. "Thankfully, for Walt's sake, I don't have it on me."

Picking her beer up off the bar, Cady took a step toward the table, but Vic reached out and placed a hand on her arm. "Before we head back I need to ask you for a favor?"

Cady turned her head. "What's that?"

"Uh...well...you haven't been to my place, but it's...small. When my family arrived on Thursday, unexpectedly, there was no way all of us were going to be able to fit in it. None of the hotels had any rooms available, so I told them I was going to stay with you. Of course, I didn't remember you were going to be out of town until I was on my way, but I...I never told my parents I didn't end up staying with you. Thought it would just be easier."

"So, you need me to tell them you're staying in my guest room?"

"Pretty much. Yep. Or at least don't say anything to contradict that."

Cady shrugged. "Sure, no problem." She took a step and then turned toward Vic. "Where have you actually been staying?"

"Oh...uh...on Walt's couch."

"Oh."

"Yep. Pretty much my only option."

"Well...at least his couch is comfortable."

Smiling, Vic nodded. "I know. I'd forgotten how comfortable it was to sleep on."

Vic realized what she'd admitted to as she saw the familiar Longmire arched eyebrow directed at her.

"You've slept at my dad's cabin before?"

"Oh...um...yeah. I might have had a bit of a stalker problem a while back."

Both of Cady's eyebrows lifted.

Vic decided she didn't need to share the true extent of the Gorski situation. "The guy got into my place one day while I wasn't home, and when I told Walt, he insisted I stay at his place while Sean was out of town."

Neither of Cady's eyebrows lowered, so Vic continued. "But it all resolved itself, and I ended up only staying one night."

"Did my Dad put a bullet in him?"

Vic laughed. "Just a stern talking-to." That, and Hector's fists, but Cady didn't need to know that.

"A Walt Longmire stern talking-to. The guy didn't stand a chance."

Both Cady and Vic laughed as they looked over at the table.

Vic shifted her weight. "In case they bring it up...you couldn't come to dinner on Friday or horseback riding this afternoon because you were working. That's what I told them when they asked."

"Good to know. And actually true. I'll just leave out the part about being in Denver."

With an exhale, Vic pulled her shoulders back. "Ready?"

Cady took a swig of her beer, her eyes briefly traveling over to the door to the bathrooms before landing back on Vic. "Not really."

"Me either."

And with that, they made their way across the room.

XX

Walt arrived at the table just as Vic and Cady did.

As Vic turned to greet him with a beer she handed him, one of her brothers called out. "Hey Vic!"

She turned to look over her shoulder at her family, who had made the move over to the pool table. Michael stood in front of the closest corner of the table, his right hand grasping a cue stick. "We need your help with something."

"Give me a moment."

He rolled his eyes. "It'll just take a moment. You're the only one who can settle this."

Vic turned, apologetically. "I'll be right back."

Walt watched her walk over to Michael's side. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Cady still standing to his right. He turned toward her, the movement drawing her eyes to his. "Hi."

For a moment she looked back at him, unblinking. "Hi."

Words fled him, and after a few moments passed, Cady pressed her lips together and started to turn back toward the others.

He summoned his courage. "Did you just get back?"

She paused, but didn't turn around. "Yep."

He watched as she lifted her beer to her lips, before looking down at the can in his hands.

"I was in Denver. For work. In case you were wondering."

Looking up he noticed she'd turned toward him, but not completely. She was still avoiding his gaze. "I heard."

He waited, but she didn't elaborate further. He didn't know if he had the right to ask more.

Cady tipped her bottle toward the pool table. "You've been hanging out with Vic's family."

He nodded. "We went horseback riding up at South Fork Lodge this afternoon."

"And dinner last night, I hear."

"Yep."

She took another sip, and he followed suit. "Didn't know you were being so social these days."

He swallowed. "Vic needed my...help."

"Didn't know you were being so _helpful_ these days either."

"Her family surprised her. They showed up unexpectedly Thursday night."

Cady nodded. "She told me." She paused. "Must be nice having family who checks in on you. Must be nice having Walt Longmire willing to help."

"Cady, don't—"

She turned to face him, her eyes fixing on his. "Don't what?"

His lips parted, but he stayed silent, unable to put the discomfort he felt into words.

She stepped closer. "Don't make a scene? There are so many people here that no one is paying attention to us."

He scanned the nearby tables, but no one was looking their way.

"Or did you mean don't bring up anything...difficult? Anything that would require an actual conversation." She paused, which only made his discomfort worse. "Do you remember that, Dad? Conversations? Back when you used to ask me how I was doing and what I was up to?"

"I've stopped by your office multiple times, Cady."

"Yeah, because you needed something from me. Never just to see how my day went. You haven't asked me about my job once. You have no idea how hard it's been or what I've been having to deal with."

"We've talked about your job."

"No, we've talked about how much you disapprove of the fact that I'm working for Jacob Nighthorse, but we haven't actually talked about what I've been doing."

"It's hard to get past who you're doing it for."

"Try."

"What?"

"Try to get past it. Most of my work...most of my week has nothing to do with Jacob. It has to do with...me. Your daughter. It has to do with the people I'm helping."

"You're helping them with dirty money."

"You keep saying that, but you haven't proven that to be true."

"I believe it to be true."

"And that's enough?"

"Nighthorse is not an innocent man, Cady. There are criminal activities going on in and because of that casino. Whether or not he's getting his hands dirty, he's pulling the strings. Or at least aware that these things are happening."

"You talk about prostitution and drugs and murder, but you haven't proven anything. You've just come in with your assumptions. When did that happen? When did you become so fixated and narrow-minded? When did you start willing your biases to be truths, ignoring anything else that doesn't fit the picture of Jacob you are building?"

He lowered his gaze, gripping the Rainier can more tightly in his hands.

"When did you become so selfish, Dad?"

He looked up. "Selfish?"

"Everything is about _you_. What _you_ need. How things affect _you_."

"Selfish?" It was almost a whisper coming out of his mouth. "Cady, everything I do is for other people. My focus on Nighthorse. My search for the truth. I do it to help others."

"If you're so in to helping others, why can't you see that I am too? Do you think it was easy accepting the job from Jacob? It wasn't. I knew how you felt about him, and what you've told me about him. I didn't accept his offer to hurt you, Dad. And I didn't do it blindly. I did it because it was the only way I knew how to help the people on the Rez."

"By getting tangled up in Nighthorse's world?"

"Jacob is trying to help these people. Whatever else you think he's trying to manipulate or lie about, he's not doing that here. He's trying to make a difference in their lives. He knows what they're up against."

Walt cupped the side of his neck as he tried to keep his breathing even.

Cady crossed her arms. "So, _you_ can help others, but anyone else trying to do the same doesn't stack up? Or comes under suspicion?"

"Altruism is not Nighthorse's true motive."

"You have no idea what Jacob's motives are, Dad. He may be flawed. He may be benefiting from his support of the community because people are grateful for his help. But I believe he has his people's best interests in mind."

"You are naive if you think Nighthorse is merely flawed."

"Just because Jacob works in the grey doesn't make him a criminal. The world isn't black and white. You act like it is, or insist that it should be, but that's not how it operates. To have an impact...to make progress...sometimes you have to work in the grey. Jacob knows that. And I've seen that to be true."

"Cady, he's going to take you down with him, and you don't even realize it. Or worse, you'll go down, and he'll get away scot-free.

"I can take care of myself."

"Not if you're ensnared in Nighthorse's strings."

She shook her head slightly. "When you're not lecturing me, all you seem to be doing is underestimating me. I guess I'm always going to disappoint you."

Walt's gaze darted over to Vic, remembering their porch conversation the previous day about children disappointing their parents. He found her looking back at him, concern clearly etched in her eyes. And then suddenly a smile stretched across her face. Hopeful and encouraging. He felt something in him loosen, and he was able to take his first full breath.

Turning back toward his daughter, he was able to fully look at her. Cady was staring down at her hands, and he saw the competing tiredness and tension in her face. He wanted to ease her pain. The pain he was clearly responsible for.

"I'm sorry, Punk."

She blinked, a look of surprise evident in her eyes. "You're sorry?"

"I'm sorry that I come across as judgmental. It's...it's only because I'm concerned."

"You didn't seem so concerned when you arrived at the police station after I shot JP Wright. You didn't even ask me how I was doing. I had been in danger, and I killed a man, and not one peep from you about my well-being."

"I came in to find out how you were doing only to learn that you had called Nighthorse instead of me...your own father."

"I did that because the incident occurred on the Rez, like I told you."

"That's only partly why you did that. Matthias would have let you make more than one call. You _chose_ not to call me. You once again chose Nighthorse over me."

Looking past his shoulder, Cady's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I...I guess I thought you'd focus more on your belief that Jacob had put me in a dangerous situation, than helping me through the aftermath of having survived a dangerous situation. I couldn't deal with that. I needed..." Her voice broke, and she paused. "I needed someone who'd be there for me. Whose greatest concern was whether I was ok. I needed...my dad, but you haven't really felt like my dad lately."

Her accusation stabbed with the sharp pain of truth. He'd been standing firm all this time, waiting for her to be the one to bend, unwilling to admit error on his part. "You're right. I...I haven't felt like myself these past weeks. Things have seemed so out of my control...with you, and Henry, and the lawsuit, and my job. Maybe I have been selfish. Maybe I've been so focused on keeping my head above water, that I haven't noticed that you've been trying to do the same."

A sudden cheer sounded from the direction of the pool table, and they both turned to see Vic and her brother high-fiving.

"That sure is a long game of pool."

"Yes it is." He paused before looking over at her. "I'm sorry I've been making it so much about me, lately. When everything started to slip between us, I didn't know how to find my way back..."

"How about we take it one step at a time? Maybe the next time we see each other, start with 'Hey Punk, how's it going?' Maybe stop by my place purely for the sake of catching up, without a lecture or an ask for something in sight."

"That easy, uh?"

She shrugged. "It could be."

He nodded, placing his empty can on the table.

"Want another beer?"

She looked up at him. "Sure."

"When I get back you can tell me more about your trip to Denver."

"Ok." Her smile, for the first time, didn't seem forced, and the tightness within him continued to loosen.

"Hey Longmires." Walt and Cady looked over to the pool table where Vic stood, smiling broadly. "Up for taking on the winners for the next game?"

Walt looked over at Cady, who cocked an eyebrow his way before she turned back toward Vic. "You're on."

XX

Vic finally found herself standing alone next to Walt, whose eyes were on Cady and Michael, who stood on the other side of the table strategizing her next shot.

Her voice low so others couldn't hear her, she leaned in closer. "Sorry I abandoned you earlier. By the time I turned back to join you at the table, you and Cady seemed to be deep in conversation, and I didn't want to interfere. It seemed like maybe you two needed to...talk."

Walt ran his thumb along his lower lip. "We did."

"Did you clear the air?"

"A little."

She paused, waiting for him to continue. When he stayed quiet but looked her way, she arched her eyebrow at him. His eyebrow lifted in confusion. "What?"

"That's all I get? You just held the longest conversation I've ever seen you have with Cady, and all you have to say is 'a little?'"

He gestured to their nearby family members. "It didn't seem like the right time or place to elaborate."

She crossed her arms, both eyebrows lifting this time, but he didn't budge.

"Well that just means I'm adding it to the list."

"What list?"

"The list of things you say we're going to talk about. What's going on with Cady. What's going on with Henry. What's going on..." She almost added 'with all the kissing,' but held back. His eyes fell to her lips and she wondered if he was thinking about the same thing. "You said we'd talk about it all back at your cabin tonight..."

Looking back at the pair across the table, he ran his hand along his jaw. "I think I said we'd talk about it _later_. At some point."

"Hmm...I distinctly remember you saying 'later tonight, back at the cabin.'" Peering over at him, she tried to gauge if he was busy remembering that moment in the bathroom hallway earlier that evening, like she was. It was on a constant loop for her.

His eyes flashed over to hers, but he never got a chance to respond.

"Vickie. Walt. So good to see the two of you."

Omar suddenly appeared between them, his arms going around both of their shoulders.

Annoyed that her conversation with Walt had been derailed, and annoyed that it was Omar doing the interrupting, Vic tried to step to the side. "Omar, what are you doing at the Pony on a Saturday? Aren't you usually off on a hunting trip with clients on the weekend?"

Squeezing tighter, he pulled her closer. "Well, Vickie, thanks for noticing. I usually am. But my clients had to suddenly cancel, and I unexpectedly found myself with nothing to do, so I thought I would come to the Red Pony and throw back a pint or two."

Omar looked over at the pool table in front of them. "Walt, I see your daughter has made it out this evening as well. Who's the guy she's playing pool with?"

Again Vic tried to pull her shoulder free from his grasp. "My brother."

Omar turned her way. "Your brother? Is your family visiting?"

"Yes." As soon as the word escaped her lips she regretted that she had confirmed the fact for him.

"Then you need to introduce me. I have always wondered what the Moretti clan might be like."

She was about to refuse when her mother stepped in front of them. "And who do we have here?"

Omar dropped his arms from their shoulders and stepped forward. "Omar Rhoades at your service."

"Well, Omar Rhoades, I'm Lena Moretti, Vic's mother."

A smile spread across Omar's face. "Mother? I had taken you for Vickie's sister, even though she'd never mentioned she had one."

Vic could not prevent an eye roll from escaping. She'd never mentioned one word about her family to Omar.

"Vic, aren't you going to properly introduce your friend?"

She could see Omar start to raise his arm as if he was going to embrace her side again, so she took a step toward her mother. "Omar owns a ranch up by the north fork of Rock Creek. He's a bit of an expert on hunting and firearms, so the Sheriff's Department has utilized his services from time to time."

"A _bit_ of an expert? That's the qualifier you use for me?"

Vic shifted the beer bottle in her hands, her nails working to peel back the bottom corner of the label. "Well you did allow someone to shoot me with a tranq gun a while back."

"That had nothing to do with me, and in no way diminishes my expertise."

Before she could refute his assertions, he turned back toward her mother. "And what has fair Vickie been showing you during your visit, other than this fine establishment?"

Her mother smiled up at him. "She gave us a tour of the county on Friday, and we went horseback riding earlier today."

"And what are your plans tomorrow?"

"We haven't settled on any yet. The boys are interested in going to a gun range Vic had mentioned, but that's not really my cup of tea."

"And what's more your cup of tea?"

"I heard there's a winery a few hours away, and some local breweries even closer."

"You know what? You should come over to my ranch tomorrow."

Vic's fingers paused on the beer label, her eyes going big. "What? No?"

"My clients had to cancel, and I had already purchased all the supplies for the trip. We can eat, drink and be merry. I've got plenty of local wines and beers, and some not so local ones as well. Plus, I can show Vickie's brothers my personal gun range."

Vic stepped forward. "Omar, that's not necessary."

"Oh, come on. Your mother already said you have no firm plans. And we can meet both your brothers' interests and your mother's. With no expense or effort on your part, and a much shorter car ride. What could be better?"

Before Vic could think of a reason not to accept the offer, her mother cut in. "I think that is a lovely idea."

Omar clamped a hand down on Walt's shoulder. "And you and Cady will join us too, right Walt?"

"Oh...uh..."

"Of course they will." Once again her mother smiled.

XX

She had about five seconds. Maybe six. He had shot the cue ball into the far corner, cleanly knocking the three ball into the pocket. He was still leaning over the table, his focus on the invisible trajectory the ball had taken. Based on his previous shots, she had about five seconds before he straightened. Five seconds before his focus returned to the people around him. Five seconds to take him in before she had to divert her gaze.

Actually, she was probably now down to three.

When he'd first positioned himself to take the shot, she'd glanced around, finding the others all in conversation. Her mother and Victor were chatting with Henry back at the table. Her father and Omar were deep into a lengthy discussion at the far end. Even their opponents, Cady and Michael, were laughing about something to her right, not presently paying attention to their own game.

So she'd been free to watch him without scrutiny. But in three seconds she was going to have to look away, or he'd catch her staring.

 _Three_. _Two_.

But she never got to one, because Walt turned early. He hadn't even straightened when he turned his head her way.

His eyes found hers, and immediately warmth rushed to her cheeks, as she blushed at being discovered watching him.

He stayed like that for a moment, holding her gaze, and then finally pulled himself upright. He leaned back against the edge of the pool table, the cue stick in his right hand, the corners of his mouth slowly tugging upwards.

She could feel the warmth continue to spread across her skin, but this time the blush wasn't due to embarrassment, and wasn't isolated to just her face.

Her thoughts drifted to later that evening, when they'd return to his cabin. When it would just be the two of them. Would he still be looking at her like this? Would they be able to keep a safe distance between them?

Drawn to him, she took a step forward. And then another. His gaze never wavered.

She ran her tongue across her lips, briefly wondering where she'd placed her 'beer' bottle of water. She could use a sip right now.

As she neared, Walt pushed himself off the table, straightening to his full height.

His lips parted as if he was about to say something, but when she lifted her foot to move closer, Cady stepped in front of her.

"Hey there." Cady flashed her a toothy smile.

A quick glance at Walt, Vic found his eyes still on her from behind Cady's right shoulder.

Reluctantly Vic brought her gaze back to Cady. "Hey there yourself."

"You're a pretty good pool player."

"Uh...thanks."

"I should know. I grew up around Henry and my Dad, who have spent many an hour conversing over pool or darts. Right, Dad?"

Walt shook his head slightly, his focus finally shifting to his daughter. "Right, what?"

"You and Henry. Years of pool and darts between you."

"Uh...right."

Cady's head swiveled back in Vic's direction. Again, her smile appeared, her eyes dancing along with it.

Vic smiled in return. "Are you drunk?"

The smile before her grew. "I am."

Cady laughed lightly, as she ran her hand through her hair. "Just a bit." She glanced around the bar, her gaze not really landing on anything. "But I think I should go home, before it becomes more than a bit."

"Well, I don't think you should be driving."

"I was thinking the same thing." Her eyes drifted back to Vic's. "In fact, I was thinking about one bird, two stones."

Vic's eyebrows knitted slightly. "Do you mean 'two birds, one stone?'"

Cady shuffled her stance. "That's what I said."

Vic tried to muffle a smile.

Cady extended one of her fingers. "Bird one...you drive me home in my Jeep." She extended a second finger. "Bird two...you take my guest room."

It took a moment for Cady's meaning to sink in. Vic's eyes flicked over to Walt, who was staring in front of him, his beer can frozen in place just before his lips.

Oblivious, Cady continued. "I know that couch is comfortable and everything, but it's no match for sleeping in a bed." Again she flashed her smile, both eyebrows lifting in anticipation. "So...what do you say? Wanna be my roomie again?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for your patience with this story. I'd expected to get this next chapter written and posted sooner, but my summer has not gone as expected. :)**

* * *

He could feel the vibration humming inside him. The warmth. The fuzziness at the edges. Maybe he shouldn't have driven himself home. But he hadn't felt the effects at the bar as he now did, sitting on his couch in the near dark.

The corners of his mouth turned slowly upwards. That wasn't true. He'd felt the buzz back at the Red Pony.

If he'd been sober he wouldn't have openly stared. Or temporarily forgotten they were surrounded by others. Or stumbled when questions were directed his way.

Not with her family so close. Or his.

But he had done all those things.

Closing his eyes, and sinking deeper into the couch cushions, he pictured her there. Standing a few feet away from the pool table. Her gaze solidly on him in that distracting way. He hadn't been able to keep his eyes off her.

He couldn't remember if anyone else had been standing near them. He hadn't even seen Cady approach until she was standing there between them. It had been hard to focus on what the two of them were talking about. He'd missed the question Cady had asked him. His focus was only partly on the beer he was lifting to his lips when Cady's words, and their meaning, had sunk in. Her suggestion that Vic stay with her instead of on his couch.

Vic had momentarily glanced his way, but she was focused back on Cady before he could shift his gaze to her.

"So...what do you say? Wanna be my roomie again?"

Once again Vic's eyes had darted toward him, but he hadn't been able to read her expression.

He'd felt something clench within him and had looked away, returning his focus to the Rainier in his hands.

Vic had turned back toward Cady. "Uh…"

The beer had been soothing sliding down his throat, but it had only been a momentary distraction before he'd drained the can.

And now, here he was, alone at his place. He hadn't said a word. She hadn't put up a fight.

The disappointment and relief that she wasn't there at the cabin washed over him.

He took a breath, and then slowly raised his eyelids. The lamp on his desk was casting shadows, and he followed them around the room until his gaze landed on the open front door.

He froze.

Vic stood on the other side of the screen, staring back at him. Darkness surrounded most of her, but her face was visible. Her eyes flickering.

He wondered how long she'd been standing there. He wondered _why_ she was standing there.

"Hi." The word came out softly from her lips. "I didn't know if you were asleep."

He blinked. "Nope."

She glanced toward the side of the porch for a moment, before returning her focus to him.

"I, uh…I came to get by backpack. My, uh, stuff." She gestured toward the floor near the end of the couch.

"Right." That's why she was there. For her stuff.

He launched himself into a standing position, steadying himself for a moment, before walking over to her bag and picking it up. He heard the screen door open and close behind him.

He turned and found her standing just inside the door. Still with her eyes on him. Still with an expression he couldn't quite read.

Making his way back across the room, he held out the bag in front of him as he neared. "Your…stuff."

She grinned. He felt the warmth buzzing through him, and the corners of his mouth lifted in response.

Sliding the strap of the backpack over her right shoulder, Vic looked up at him. "Thanks."

He nodded.

"Well…uh…I should go." With a nod of her head, she gestured back behind her. "Cady's waiting." She then glanced over her shoulder. "She might actually be asleep. Her eyes were drifting closed the whole ride here."

He tried to peer out at her truck, which was mostly hidden behind the dark curtain of night.

Eyes back on her, he nodded again. "Ok."

"Oh…" Vic adjusted the strap on her shoulder, her eyes darting past him. "My toothbrush is in your bathroom. Let me grab it."

She stepped past him before he could even pull together a response, or offer his assistance, and he turned to see her disappearing into his bedroom.

He was half-way across the room before he realized he was following her and stopped in his tracks.

This wasn't a good idea. His guard was down. His self-control. If he made it to his doorway…

The alcohol in his system hadn't completely incapacitated the usual censor in his brain that triggered when it came to Vic. So, with a final glance at the entryway to his bedroom, he made his way back to the spot just inside the front door, and looked out at the porch while he waited for her return.

A few moments later she appeared at his right shoulder, and he took a step to the side, turning toward her as he did. "All set?"

She glanced up at him. "Yep."

He reached for the handle at the same time she did. When their hands touched they both paused, her right on his left.

He took a step forward as if he was going to lean in and push the door open but he didn't move any further. And neither did she, other than her gaze, which was now directed at some point on his chest.

"You smell…clean. Like soap." She didn't look up as she said the words.

"I…uh…washed my face when I first got back to the cabin."

She nodded, her eyes still not on his.

He felt the words spilling out before his filter could catch them. "You taste like flowers."

She glanced up at him, and he could not mistake the raised eyebrow directed his way. "What do flowers taste like?"

"I…I mean you _smell_ like flowers."

A slow smile spread across her lips. "My shampoo." Her eyes were big, and taking him in.

He nodded. He could still feel the weight of her hand against his on the door handle.

He took another step forward, holding her gaze. Taking a deep breath, he noticed that their chests moved up and down in unison. He could feel the pull toward her, but the censor was still there. With a deep exhale, he dropped his eyes, leaned across her and propped open the screen. For a moment, when he looked back over at her, that unreadable expression crossed her features.

He turned his gaze in the direction of her truck, even though he couldn't really see it. "Thank you. For taking Cady home." His eyes found Vic's again. "I really appreciate you looking out for her."

With a slight shake, she seemed to gather herself. "It's not a problem."

The buzz that lit his body was fighting with his brain. To get her to stay a little longer. To enjoy the smell of her hair a little closer. But the brain won out. "I'll…uh…see you at Omar's tomorrow?"

She seemed to study him for a moment, and then rolled her eyes. "Yes. I can't believe I agreed to that. God help me if he says anything inappropriate in front of my family."

"I'm sure Omar will be on his best behavior."

She grinned. "That doesn't really comfort me."

He laughed, and she followed suit.

She took a step toward him and then paused. He held his breath, the buzz tingling beneath the surface. The brain pushed to the side. He started to lift his hand to her side.

"Ok. See you tomorrow." And with that she launched herself out the door and down the steps, disappearing into the dark.

XX

Vic studied herself in the full-length mirror. What she wouldn't give for a mirror like this back at her place. But there wasn't really room, or wall space, in the RV.

Running her hand down her belly, she traced the slight contour. She wondered if anybody else had noticed. There wasn't much difference yet, especially under layers of clothing. But she could tell.

She glanced down at her hand. She was going to have to tell them.

She wanted and feared the conversation with Walt most of all.

Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply. She needed to do it soon. Before she lost her nerve. Before he found out some other way.

With an audible sigh, she opened her eyes. She pulled her tank top down, and adjusted her shorts, before heading for the dresser. She grabbed her phone and arm band and then exited the room.

On a notepad on the coffee table she scribbled a note for Cady to let her know she'd gone for a run.

Straightening, she paused to strap her phone to her arm, and then pulled the elastic from her wrist as she walked back across the room. Opening the front door as quietly as she could, she stood in the doorway, pulling her hair up off her shoulders, and tying it into her usual ponytail. As she was doing her final tug to ensure the hair was securely in place she looked up, and hesitated, her stomach doing a small flip.

Walt, his back to her, sat on the front steps. Without turning his head, he lifted a thermos as she stepped forward.

"What if I had been Cady?"

He lifted another thermos, causing her to laugh.

She slid into a seated position next to him on the step, lifting the coffee to her lips as he placed Cady's thermos on the step between them.

"This thermos feels a little lighter than the one you filled for me on Friday morning. A little less full."

"You said you were trying to cut back. I'm just making it easier for you." He finally turned his head to face her, a grin lighting his lips.

His eyes stayed on hers a beat longer than she expected, before he turned and looked out at the street. Taking advantage of the fact that he wasn't looking at her, she took a moment to scan his length. She loved him in t-shirts, and seeing him three days in a row in sweats and sneakers did something to her as well. She tore her eyes from him and took a long sip from the thermos.

She finally dared to look over at him again. "I'm impressed."

He turned with his eyebrow raised. "Impressed with what?"

"Your commitment to running these past few days."

"You're just as committed. I'm not out here in my running shoes on my own."

"Yeah, but I've been at it a little longer than you. Which means I've got a little more discipline built in. A little more motivation."

He looked down at the thermos in his hands. "I can be very disciplined—"

"Yeah, about select things. Not sure if I'd put running up there with the other things I've seen you so intensely dedicated to."

"And I'm very motivated."

"Oh yeah, what's got you so motivated?" As the question slipped out she realized she needed to be careful. She didn't know if this was the moment she wanted to share her motivation for taking better care of herself with him.

He lifted his head and turned her way, his eyes again holding hers for a beat longer than usual, before dropping back to his hands.

"Just internally motivated to make some improvements."

She nodded. "Me too."

She noted that they both lifted their thermos to their lips at the same time.

After finishing the last of her coffee, she stood, picking up the third thermos as she rose. "I'll be right back."

She re-entered the house and quietly made her way over to the coffee table, placing the thermos near the note she'd left for Cady.

XX

Exhausted, Walt watched Vic drop to a seated position on Cady's front yard. He sank down on the patch of grass to her right, a little concerned he might not be able to get back up again.

That had been their longest run yet, and his previous non-existent dedication to running was rearing its ugly head to laugh at him.

She let out a sigh as she sank down on to her back. "God, you really pushed me that last mile."

" _I_ pushed _you_?" A glance in her direction at the end of their run had confirmed that she had not been sucking wind like he had."

"If you haven't noticed, I've got a bit of a competitive side."

His competitive side had been severely overshadowed by his desire to keep breathing. "Well, you can let your competitive side know that you won."

"It already knows."

He turned his head toward her and found her smiling up at him. She let out a loud laugh, bringing her hand to cover her mouth when the volume surprised them both. Which of course made her laugh again.

Smiling, he rested his wrists on his knees, dropping his head slightly as he studied the blades of grass near his feet and waited for his breathing to steady.

"Ok. I'm ready."

He looked over at her again. "Ready for what?"

"To hear what you said you would tell me. Your update on how things are with Cady…and Henry."

He must have had a look on his face that expressed his lack of excitement in discussing these topics, because she pursed her lips. "Walt, you promised. And the way you've been resting this last little while suggests you don't want to get up from your position any time soon, so you might as well get at it, 'cause I'm just going to keep bugging you until you do."

He watched her lift her arms and rest them behind her head, never taking her eyes off him.

"Things have been light between us this morning. These aren't light topics."

"I can handle it."

In truth, he was more worried about himself. Confronting these topics by talking about them directly with Vic meant he couldn't live in denial or distraction as he'd successfully, or maybe not so successfully, been doing these last weeks.

But Vic was looking at him in her stubborn way that communicated she wasn't going to budge. If he wasn't going to get up and leave he would need to start talking. And for multiple reasons he didn't feel like leaving.

Placing his hands on the grass behind him, he leaned back slightly and extended his legs in front of him.

"When Cady told me she was working for Nighthorse…" He paused, shaking his head. "I haven't been able to get past it. He's dirty." He glanced over at Vic, finding her eyes still on him. "I don't need to convince _you_ of that. But I couldn't convince her. And I couldn't get her to see that working for him was a bad idea."

He returned to looking out in front of him. "It's been strained between us…for a while. And getting worse with each interaction. Nighthorse and his illegal activities were all I could see every time Cady and I talked, and she wanted me to see anything but that."

Again he hung his head for a moment.

"She's a lawyer. And her father's daughter. She needs evidence. But Nighthorse has been good at covering his tracks, so my assurance that he's behind some very bad things hasn't been enough to sway her."

Walt ran his hand over his forehand to catch the beads of sweat that were still pooling there.

"Our last conversation, back at her office…it was bad. I didn't know if things could be repaired. I wasn't going to change my mind about Nighthorse, and Cady wasn't going to change her mind about working for him. At least not based on anything I had to say."

Letting out a breath, he looked over at Vic.

She slowly raised one eyebrow. "The two of you seemed to be doing better after your conversation at the Pony last night. Did one of you concede?"

"Not in the way I thought would be needed for things to start to improve between us. I realized I didn't need to accept Nighthorse to accept what she's trying to do. I'm not going to let my guard down when it comes to him, but I can't keep it up, to the degree I've been keeping it up, with her."

Vic placed her hand on the grass close to his. "It's probably hard to be a parent sometimes, when you're a sheriff. What we do shades how we see the world. Affects our trust, and our ability to let things go."

She laughed. "But it's hard for the kids of law enforcement as well. With Cady being the only child, she probably got way more shit from you than I got from my dad. My brothers got in a lot of trouble and took some of the burden off me. Cady had no one else to divert your attention."

Walt watched her for a moment. "Does your father see me as your Nighthorse?"

"What?"

"I haven't been easy to work for these last years. I've been obsessive. I've made some decisions that have put you in danger. And if you read the paper these days or listened to Tucker Baggett, you'd think I did things that were just as bad as—"

Vic propped herself up on her forearms. "Stop that. You're nothing like Nighthorse. You're a good man. With strong convictions. You've got the strongest moral compass of anyone I know. And while we haven't been able to prove a lot of the shit we believe Nighthorse to be behind, I know that what's been in the paper about you, what Baggett is saying, isn't true."

He blinked, and then swallowed, moved by her belief in him. "Thanks."

Vic lowered herself down, so she was again lying flat on her back. "But I have been building a scrapbook of all the articles the newspaper has printed about you, so if my parents happen to find that while they're staying at my place this weekend…"

He watched the slow upturn of the corners of her mouth as her eyes glowed with mirth. "Good. Some of my greatest hits are in there. It will be a real compelling read."

He reveled in her smile for a moment longer, before pausing, his expression sobering. "Do they know any of what's been going on?"

"I told them about Barlow. What he'd done. That you were cleared."

"Nothing about the lawsuit?"

She shook her head. "You're going to be cleared of that too. No need to get them worked up."

"And if I'm not cleared?"

"Not going to happen."

"You don't know that."

"I know you."

Gripping the back of his neck he stared through the link fence at the edge of Cady's yard. How had all this Barlow stuff spun so out of control?

"I'm realizing I don't look up much anymore."

Pulled from his thoughts, Walt looked over at Vic quizzically. Once again her hands were behind her head, her gaze directed upwards.

"I mean I've seen the sky off in the distance, obviously, but I haven't looked _up_ at it lately. Back at my old place I used to lie on one of our patio chairs and just stare up at the clouds. Sometimes for hours. The Wyoming sky is so different from the one back in Philly."

He watched her watching the clouds.

"But now…I'm surrounded by concrete at my new place. No lawn like this to lie down on. No patio chairs. I didn't realize how much I missed it until now."

Shifting his weight, he sank down onto his back, and joined her in looking up. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her rotate her head to face him.

"You probably take your sky out here for granted."

He shook his head. "I don't." He paused, memories swirling through him. "When we were kids, Henry and I used to do a lot of staring up. On the grass along the bank after a good day fishing. Against a rock after reaching the peak during a climb. On the field getting mentally prepared for a game. Up on the roof at his house. It made us feel connected with something bigger than ourselves. I still do it from my front porch from time to time."

Without turning, he could feel her eyes still on him, waiting for him to open up about Henry.

"Nighthorse hasn't only been manipulating Cady. He's been doing it to Henry as well. With tighter, more controlling reins."

He avoided her eyes, hoping he could feel less exposed if she couldn't look directly at him. Into him.

"He has Henry doing things I never would have imagined he'd do."

Walt paused, noting how the early morning sun lit some of the clouds and darkened others.

"You said something a little while back. About not discounting people as suspects just because we know them. I've been ignoring so many of the signs when it's come to Henry. I've been so wrapped up in my own troubles, that I didn't realize what he was getting himself into. What he's been falling for in regards to Nighthorse and his promises."

He bit down lightly on his lower lip, his gaze still on the sky. "A little while ago Henry asked me to hold off bringing Nighthorse down, telling me that Nighthorse had promised to help him get the Red Pony back from Malachi. I should have known then that Henry was getting pulled into Nighthorse's shady dealings."

He felt his hands involuntarily clench at his sides. "Henry told me he was able to get the bar back because he found a ledger proving Malachi was laundering money. Malachi signed the deed to the Pony over to Henry in exchange for Henry not reporting him to the authorities."

Again he clenched and unclenched his hands, his chest rising slowly. "Because of their arrangement, all the evidence related to laundering money for the Irish mob is now in Nighthorse's hands, the person most interested in covering things up."

Walt flattened the palms of both of his hands against the grass. "I think Nighthorse's agenda goes well beyond ownership of the Red Pony. He's trying to silence the person who can actually do what we haven't been able to do so far. Connect him to organized crime. And now that Malachi is missing…"

Vic propped herself up onto her forearms. "So, you're back to thinking Malachi is missing? And you think Nighthorse and Henry are responsible?"

His eyes briefly flicked over to hers. "I think Nighthorse is silencing Malachi. Henry insists they threatened Malachi but didn't kill him. But I don't see Nighthorse just letting a person go who has the potential to bring him down. Henry says I'm being paranoid, but there are too many signs…now that my eyes are open, there are too many signs to ignore. The dishonesty. The disloyalty. I can't trust anyone's word anymore. Not even Henry's."

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. He felt Vic sink back on to the grass beside him, her shoulder grazing his.

"Sometimes I think that Nighthorse is doing all of this…to the two of them…to manipulate me. To buy my silence when it comes to all the things I've been investigating him for." Again he sucked in a corner of his bottom lip before releasing it. "Sometimes I just think he's trying to turn the two of them against me."

He felt Vic's fingers briefly wrap around his left wrist. "I'm still in your corner. And so are Cady and Henry. They wouldn't have spent time with us yesterday if they weren't." She let her hand drop, returning her gaze to the sky.

He rotated his head, allowing himself a few moments to study her face as she peered upwards. Her cheeks were still flushed from their run.

When she turned back toward him, he didn't look away. After a moment she blinked, and her gaze slid to his cheek. "Did you and Henry get into a fight last week?"

He nodded. "Things came to a head when I stopped by the Pony."

Her eyes connected back with his. "Have you talked to him since then?"

He shook his head.

"Not even yesterday, when we were together?"

Again he shook his head.

"How does Hector fit into all of this?"

He cringed inwardly, remembering his harsh tone when he'd told her to drop their investigation into the person who'd picked up Hector's mantle. "Henry might be involved in that too. I'm not sure. He wouldn't admit it when I confronted him. That's what started the fight. I was tired of people keeping the truth from me."

"And you lost your cool?"

"Yep."

"Henry might not be involved. Or at least not in the way you're thinking."

"He might not be. But he might. Henry talks about Hector as something that gives the people on the Rez hope…in a time when much seems hopeless. He may have taken things too far. It's what I worry about for both Henry and Cady. That their initial actions, done in the spirit of good, will shift to something they didn't set out to do…out of desperation or delusion. Shift because Nighthorse is involved and pulling the strings."

Again he looked over at her, finding her eyes still on him. "I'm surprised Nighthorse hasn't tried to do the same with you."

"Turn me against you, or try to get me to do his bidding?"

"Both."

She laughed. "I think Jacob Nighthorse and his tail light know I'm not a big fan of his. That I'm not one who could be easily swayed."

Walt hoped not, but he would have said the same about his daughter and best friend just a short time ago.

His eyes must have broadcast this thought, because Vic rolled a little to her right, and propped her head up on her right hand, looking down at him.

"There's nothing Nighthorse could offer me, Walt. Nothing."

Like that moment back in his office, when she'd adamantly sworn that she would stay by his side, and not let him go down on his own, he felt her loyalty. Loyalty he didn't know if he'd rightfully earned. Definitely not loyalty that he deserved. Still, there it was. Nakedly looking back at him. He felt it, and like before, was drawn even more to her because of it. But back in the office, he'd done nothing but stare back at her in silent acceptance that her loyalty existed. Now, lying on the lawn, with little space between them, he felt her gravitational pull. And this time he felt powerless to it.

He didn't know who started the kiss. They were so close that they may just have both moved toward each other simultaneously to close the distance. Regardless of who initiated, they were both actively involved from the first moment of contact. The left side of her body was lying partway across his chest, and her hand was threaded through his hair. His right arm was spread across her back, holding her to him.

The kiss had started out slowly. A bit tentative on each of their parts, as they tested what was happening between them.

But now there was heat.

Her hand dropped to his right shoulder and then moved down his arm, her fingers finally sliding beneath the band of his sleeve to grip his bicep.

He pressed against her lower back, shifting his weight as they both rolled to their sides. When she lifted her hand to encircle his neck, he felt her tank top rise, and his fingers were soon traversing the exposed skin at her waist.

His hand was splayed along her left rib cage as she lowered the back of her right shoulder to the ground. Again they both shifted their weight. He ran his lips along her jaw, and his fingers slid further under the front of her shirt.

Suddenly she grabbed his wrist and pulled back. He was confused by the surprised look in her eyes.

He watched her squeeze her eyes shut for a moment before opening them.

"We need to talk." The words were whispered, but had an edge of urgency behind them.

"Talk?"

She released her grip on his wrist, letting their hands fall. "I…I need to tell you something."

His hand was at her hip, and he slid it up her side, making sure to stay on the outside of her clothing. "Now?"

She bowed her head, leaning into him slightly. "It's…big. What I need to say. You might not want to keep doing…this…once you hear."

He doubted that. He'd been thinking about _this_ almost constantly since that first kiss in her RV. And then her words sunk in, and his hand stilled. Was she going to tell him that she was leaving? Had she finally talked to her parents and been convinced to go back to Philadelphia?

He swallowed. "Ok."

Lifting her head so they were again making eye contact she briefly pursed her lips. "I—"

Vic was cut off by the sound of Cady's front door opening and the shuffle of footsteps along the stoop. They immediately pulled apart. Walt sat up as Vic lowered herself into her initial position on her back. He tried to calm his breathing down as Cady appeared on the front steps, no longer blocked by the bushes.

"I thought I heard someone out here."

She glanced between them. "Did you both go for a run?"

Walt tried to put on a smile. "One of us ran. One of us was just trying to keep up."

The corners of Cady's mouth lifted. "Still in the 'running is torture' stage?"

"Yep."

She paused, taking him in. "I didn't know you'd gotten in to running."

Looking up at her, he held her eyes. "I'm trying to make some changes."

She nodded, her eyes softening. She then seemed to gather herself. "You two hungry?"

A shadow crossed his view, and he turned to see that Vic had risen, and was now standing at his side. She was looking over at Cady, avoiding his eyes. "Starving."

"Great!" Cady gave them a smile and then walked back up the stairs.

Vic started to follow her, but then turned and offered Walt her hand. "You look like you need a little help getting off your ass."

Cady laughed from the top of the steps.

He took Vic's hand, and held her eyes as he stood.

Vic's gaze stayed on him for a moment longer and then she dropped his hand and pivoted. Cady was already in the house when he reached the top of the stairs, but Vic had not entered. She was standing in the open doorway, her back to him.

Cady called out from the kitchen. "What do you two want?"

Vic turned and looked up at him, her hand on the doorknob. What did he want? If only it were that simple?


End file.
